Official Rush “Fifty Something Tour” Thread (5 Viewers)

[Hot Sauce Guy]

16. Caress of Steel

Extreme Jim Mora voice, “Behind Presto? Presto?!”

6. Caress of Steel (1975)

This is acceptable. Higher than I had it ranked, even. Several lists don’t include COS and that’s just weird.

Why is is weird, because one of your favorites is also not one of our favorites? Are we all supposed to like the same thing?

No, because it is widely consider one of their “classic” albums.

Has nothing to do with what I like or don’t.

Also I wasn’t exactly being serious. Lighten up, Francis.

 

[Hot Sauce Guy]

16. Caress of Steel

Extreme Jim Mora voice, “Behind Presto? Presto?!”

6. Caress of Steel (1975)

This is acceptable. Higher than I had it ranked, even. Several lists don’t include COS and that’s just weird.

Hahahaha Presto is just a far more…..”mature album” and I much rather listen to Show Don’t Tell, The Pass, Presto, Chain Lightning and Available Light than some of my favorites from COS.

Lol Rush has such a killer catalog that we can discuss for weeks.

Fair.

I will pick up the flag.

 

[Hot Sauce Guy]

No One at the Bridge has an incredible Lifeson solo.

One of the 1st guitar solos I learned as a kid, when I had time for such shenanigans. Absolutely one of Alex’s best.

 

[Todem]

No One at the Bridge has an incredible Lifeson solo.

One of the 1st guitar solos I learned as a kid, when I had time for such shenanigans. Absolutely one of Alex’s best.

Alex is the reason I play guitar. My god….I was obsessed with Exit Stage Left as a 12 year old kid learning to play.

 

[Ghost Rider]

16. Caress of Steel

Extreme Jim Mora voice, “Behind Presto? Presto?!”

6. Caress of Steel (1975)

This is acceptable. Higher than I had it ranked, even. Several lists don’t include COS and that’s just weird.

Why is is weird, because one of your favorites is also not one of our favorites? Are we all supposed to like the same thing?

No, because it is widely consider one of their “classic” albums.

Has nothing to do with what I like or don’t.

Also I wasn’t exactly being serious. Lighten up, Francis.

As a longtime Rush fan, I am comfortable in saying that it is not. The band barely touched it live for the last four decades of touring, and it has long been considered the one hiccup in that original run of albums. Diehards like it to varying degrees, and I dig most of it, but most of their albums are better. I think most Rush fans realize that their most classic run is considered to be 2112 through Moving Pictures (or maybe Signals). Any Rush album not in that run is not really a classic album in the macro sense (and I say that as someone who genuflects to Power Windows and wishes that had the classics status those others have).

And I know we are just talking here.

 

[Ghost Rider]

No One at the Bridge has an incredible Lifeson solo.

One of the 1st guitar solos I learned as a kid, when I had time for such shenanigans. Absolutely one of Alex’s best.

Alex is the reason I play guitar. My god….I was obsessed with Exit Stage Left as a 12 year old kid learning to play.

Xanadu alone is a masterclass in electric guitar playing.

What's funny too is that for as much Alex didn't care for the synth era in real time back then, he became a better and more well-rounded player on those albums. With all of those synth leads, he often had to find another way to make his guitar work for the song, and always did a great job. He was such a clever and inventive player in that era.

 

[Hot Sauce Guy]

The band barely touched it live for the last four decades of touring

It’s mostly because it wasn’t popular as a radio album because most of the songs were too long. Bastille Day was a hit, but barely anything else made it to the airways.

I’ve heard Geddy comment about it saying they had kind of a rebellious “don’t GAF” attitude about that album. They felt very constrained by the time limits of radio tracks so the length of songs on Caress of Steel was somewhat deliberate as a middle finger to the music industry.

 

[Hot Sauce Guy]

Xanadu alone is a masterclass in electric guitar playing.

Totally agree.

With all of those synth leads, he often had to find another way to make his guitar work for the song, and always did a great job. He was such a clever and inventive player in that era

Agree here as well - and also respect the band’s acknowledgement that they went way too far into the synth style with some of the later albums.

Feedback was such a cool throwback, and really helped the band rediscover their hard rock roots. Then the next couple albums showed it - i think Snakes & Arrows & Clockwork Angels are two of their best. Not a lot of bands can say that about their last 2 studio albums.

 

[Ghost Rider]

The band barely touched it live for the last four decades of touring

It’s mostly because it wasn’t popular as a radio album because most of the songs were too long. Bastille Day was a hit, but barely anything else made it to the airways.

I’ve heard Geddy comment about it saying they had kind of a rebellious “don’t GAF” attitude about that album. They felt very constrained by the time limits of radio tracks so the length of songs on Caress of Steel was somewhat deliberate as a middle finger to the music industry.

I view Caress of Steel as their first attempt at digging their toes into the deep end of prog. The Fountain of Lamneth is a bit inconsistent up and down as a sidelong epic, but not bad for a first try; 2112 likely isn't as awesome as it is without them getting their feet wet with The Fountain first.

Personally, The Necromancer and Bastille Day are the two clear standout songs from this record, and if I can isolate the movements from the epic, No One at the Bridge is pretty great, especially Alex's solo.

 

[Ghost Rider]

Xanadu alone is a masterclass in electric guitar playing.

Totally agree.

With all of those synth leads, he often had to find another way to make his guitar work for the song, and always did a great job. He was such a clever and inventive player in that era

Agree here as well - and also respect the band’s acknowledgement that they went way too far into the synth style with some of the later albums.

Feedback was such a cool throwback, and really helped the band rediscover their hard rock roots. Then the next couple albums showed it - i think Snakes & Arrows & Clockwork Angels are two of their best. Not a lot of bands can say that about their last 2 studio albums.

I know I'd have a much greater appreciation for the last two records if they sounded a lot better. S&A is weird in that it sounds great when the sections are laid back and/or mellow, but the mix sounds dry and lifeless when they rock; there is a severe lack of oomph. Clockwork Angels was probably the best collective songwriting they had done since the 80s, but the muddy mix makes it a tough listening experience. I would love for both albums to get a remix of some sort to clean them up, but I am not holding my breath.

 

[Hot Sauce Guy]

The Fountain of Lamneth is a bit inconsistent up and down as a sidelong epic, but not bad for a first try; 2112 likely isn't as awesome as it is without them getting

I think it holds its own, but 2112 is so epic that anything before it pales for sure.

I like parts of that song - I tend to skip it if I’m not in the mood, where I’d never skip anything on 2112.

 

[Hot Sauce Guy]

Xanadu alone is a masterclass in electric guitar playing.

Totally agree.

With all of those synth leads, he often had to find another way to make his guitar work for the song, and always did a great job. He was such a clever and inventive player in that era

Agree here as well - and also respect the band’s acknowledgement that they went way too far into the synth style with some of the later albums.

Feedback was such a cool throwback, and really helped the band rediscover their hard rock roots. Then the next couple albums showed it - i think Snakes & Arrows & Clockwork Angels are two of their best. Not a lot of bands can say that about their last 2 studio albums.

I know I'd have a much greater appreciation for the last two records if they sounded a lot better. S&A is weird in that it sounds great when the sections are laid back and/or mellow, but the mix sounds dry and lifeless when they rock; there is a severe lack of oomph. Clockwork Angels was probably the best collective songwriting they had done since the 80s, but the muddy mix makes it a tough listening experience. I would love for both albums to get a remix of some sort to clean them up, but I am not holding my breath.

Yeah, it would also help if Geddy could still hit the notes, but alas.

Sadly I agree about the mix. Musically I think it’s some of their best.

 

[Ghost Rider]

16. Caress of Steel

Extreme Jim Mora voice, “Behind Presto? Presto?!”

6. Caress of Steel (1975)

This is acceptable. Higher than I had it ranked, even. Several lists don’t include COS and that’s just weird.

Hahahaha Presto is just a far more…..”mature album” and I much rather listen to Show Don’t Tell, The Pass, Presto, Chain Lightning and Available Light than some of my favorites from COS.

Lol Rush has such a killer catalog that we can discuss for weeks.

Jumping back a bit, Presto would be near the bottom for me, but I still like it. It's an album full of good songs, with a couple standouts (The Pass, Available Light), but the polite sound of it (Geddy's words, once upon a time) doesn't do it any favors.

War Paint is the one song that could have been vastly improved with a better production. The melodies are great, but Geddy's voice layered doing the harmonies sounds a bit weird, and their choice of synth sounds is not great. Use better keyboard tones and have good background singers doing the harmonies and that song becomes excellent, IMO.

 

[Ghost Rider]

Xanadu alone is a masterclass in electric guitar playing.

Totally agree.

With all of those synth leads, he often had to find another way to make his guitar work for the song, and always did a great job. He was such a clever and inventive player in that era

Agree here as well - and also respect the band’s acknowledgement that they went way too far into the synth style with some of the later albums.

Feedback was such a cool throwback, and really helped the band rediscover their hard rock roots. Then the next couple albums showed it - i think Snakes & Arrows & Clockwork Angels are two of their best. Not a lot of bands can say that about their last 2 studio albums.

I know I'd have a much greater appreciation for the last two records if they sounded a lot better. S&A is weird in that it sounds great when the sections are laid back and/or mellow, but the mix sounds dry and lifeless when they rock; there is a severe lack of oomph. Clockwork Angels was probably the best collective songwriting they had done since the 80s, but the muddy mix makes it a tough listening experience. I would love for both albums to get a remix of some sort to clean them up, but I am not holding my breath.

Yeah, it would also help if Geddy could still hit the notes, but alas.

Sadly I agree about the mix. Musically I think it’s some of their best.

Headlong Flight felt like an instant modern day Rush classic (whether it achieved that status is debatable). I sure hope that one gets played on the tour.

 

[Hot Sauce Guy]

Presto would be near the bottom for me, but I still like it.

I have some nostalgia for it as it was my 1st RUSH concert and my friend and I put gum in the door of the mall we worked at to sneak in - we evaded the lone security guard all night (mostly by hiding in the coffee shop where we worked) to jump the line at Fuzzy Wuzzy (where the Ticketmaster booth was) and scored 3rd row center tickets.

That said, it’s not in my top 10. I might have to give it another listen soon to see if I’m being fair.

 

[Ghost Rider]

Presto would be near the bottom for me, but I still like it.

I have some nostalgia for it as it was my 1st RUSH concert and my friend and I put gum in the door of the mall we worked at to sneak in - we evaded the lone security guard all night (mostly by hiding in the coffee shop where we worked) to jump the line at Fuzzy Wuzzy (where the Ticketmaster booth was) and scored 3rd row center tickets.

That said, it’s not in my top 10. I might have to give it another listen soon to see if I’m being fair.

I suspect The Pass will be played on the tour, probably in one of the rotated spots. Geddy Lee has always called it one of his favorites.

 

[SaintsInDome2006]

Tickets are out of hand already. Anyone have any Shark moves for finding affordable tickets?

 

[Todem]

Presto would be near the bottom for me, but I still like it.

I have some nostalgia for it as it was my 1st RUSH concert and my friend and I put gum in the door of the mall we worked at to sneak in - we evaded the lone security guard all night (mostly by hiding in the coffee shop where we worked) to jump the line at Fuzzy Wuzzy (where the Ticketmaster booth was) and scored 3rd row center tickets.

That said, it’s not in my top 10. I might have to give it another listen soon to see if I’m being fair.

I suspect The Pass will be played on the tour, probably in one of the rotated spots. Geddy Lee has always called it one of his favorites.

I am hoping that is rotated with the title track which is also such a great song.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

Xanadu alone is a masterclass in electric guitar playing.

Totally agree.

With all of those synth leads, he often had to find another way to make his guitar work for the song, and always did a great job. He was such a clever and inventive player in that era

Agree here as well - and also respect the band’s acknowledgement that they went way too far into the synth style with some of the later albums.

Feedback was such a cool throwback, and really helped the band rediscover their hard rock roots. Then the next couple albums showed it - i think Snakes & Arrows & Clockwork Angels are two of their best. Not a lot of bands can say that about their last 2 studio albums.

I know I'd have a much greater appreciation for the last two records if they sounded a lot better. S&A is weird in that it sounds great when the sections are laid back and/or mellow, but the mix sounds dry and lifeless when they rock; there is a severe lack of oomph. Clockwork Angels was probably the best collective songwriting they had done since the 80s, but the muddy mix makes it a tough listening experience. I would love for both albums to get a remix of some sort to clean them up, but I am not holding my breath.

Don’t forget that the mix of Vapor Trails sucks thanks to the “loudness wars” of the early ‘00s.

 

[Ghost Rider]

Presto would be near the bottom for me, but I still like it.

I have some nostalgia for it as it was my 1st RUSH concert and my friend and I put gum in the door of the mall we worked at to sneak in - we evaded the lone security guard all night (mostly by hiding in the coffee shop where we worked) to jump the line at Fuzzy Wuzzy (where the Ticketmaster booth was) and scored 3rd row center tickets.

That said, it’s not in my top 10. I might have to give it another listen soon to see if I’m being fair.

I suspect The Pass will be played on the tour, probably in one of the rotated spots. Geddy Lee has always called it one of his favorites.

I am hoping that is rotated with the title track which is also such a great song.

It was a nice surprise when Presto (the song) was played on the Time Machine tour. It wouldn't be high on my list of songs I want to see this tour, but it wouldn't bother me.

Xanadu alone is a masterclass in electric guitar playing.

Totally agree.

With all of those synth leads, he often had to find another way to make his guitar work for the song, and always did a great job. He was such a clever and inventive player in that era

Agree here as well - and also respect the band’s acknowledgement that they went way too far into the synth style with some of the later albums.

Feedback was such a cool throwback, and really helped the band rediscover their hard rock roots. Then the next couple albums showed it - i think Snakes & Arrows & Clockwork Angels are two of their best. Not a lot of bands can say that about their last 2 studio albums.

I know I'd have a much greater appreciation for the last two records if they sounded a lot better. S&A is weird in that it sounds great when the sections are laid back and/or mellow, but the mix sounds dry and lifeless when they rock; there is a severe lack of oomph. Clockwork Angels was probably the best collective songwriting they had done since the 80s, but the muddy mix makes it a tough listening experience. I would love for both albums to get a remix of some sort to clean them up, but I am not holding my breath.

Don’t forget that the mix of Vapor Trails sucks thanks to the “loudness wars” of the early ‘00s.

Yep, the original Vapor Trails was loud and noisy, but there was an HD version released years later that made it quite listenable (not the remix; that emasculated the fire and energy of the record). Not sure that is still available anywhere, though.

 

[Todem]

Presto would be near the bottom for me, but I still like it.

I have some nostalgia for it as it was my 1st RUSH concert and my friend and I put gum in the door of the mall we worked at to sneak in - we evaded the lone security guard all night (mostly by hiding in the coffee shop where we worked) to jump the line at Fuzzy Wuzzy (where the Ticketmaster booth was) and scored 3rd row center tickets.

That said, it’s not in my top 10. I might have to give it another listen soon to see if I’m being fair.

I suspect The Pass will be played on the tour, probably in one of the rotated spots. Geddy Lee has always called it one of his favorites.

I am hoping that is rotated with the title track which is also such a great song.

It was a nice surprise when Presto (the song) was played on the Time Machine tour. It wouldn't be high on my list of songs I want to see this tour, but it wouldn't bother me.

Xanadu alone is a masterclass in electric guitar playing.

Totally agree.

With all of those synth leads, he often had to find another way to make his guitar work for the song, and always did a great job. He was such a clever and inventive player in that era

Agree here as well - and also respect the band’s acknowledgement that they went way too far into the synth style with some of the later albums.

Feedback was such a cool throwback, and really helped the band rediscover their hard rock roots. Then the next couple albums showed it - i think Snakes & Arrows & Clockwork Angels are two of their best. Not a lot of bands can say that about their last 2 studio albums.

I know I'd have a much greater appreciation for the last two records if they sounded a lot better. S&A is weird in that it sounds great when the sections are laid back and/or mellow, but the mix sounds dry and lifeless when they rock; there is a severe lack of oomph. Clockwork Angels was probably the best collective songwriting they had done since the 80s, but the muddy mix makes it a tough listening experience. I would love for both albums to get a remix of some sort to clean them up, but I am not holding my breath.

Don’t forget that the mix of Vapor Trails sucks thanks to the “loudness wars” of the early ‘00s.

Yep, the original Vapor Trails was loud and noisy, but there was an HD version released years later that made it quite listenable (not the remix; that emasculated the fire and energy of the record). Not sure that is still available anywhere, though.

Agree on the remix. I simply do not like it.

The raw emotion and energy was nonexistent.

It is a very difficult listen due to the horrendous production and mastering.

The biggest challenge and issues were two fold.

1. They kept a lot of their demo jams as master tracks which were absolutely recorded “too hot”
2. It took 16 months to track this entire record and Geddy was left to mix and master this album and I am certain his ears were totally burnt by that time.

There are some incredibly passionate songs buried in that sonic mess:

Ceiling Unlimited
Ghost Rider
Vapor Trail
Secret Touch
Earthshine
Nocturne
Sweet Miracle
Freeze

Those are my go to songs.

One Little Victory is ok but I can do without it despite the insane Neil intro (and boisterous return clearly stating “I am back”).

As far as representing the album Presto…..I expect one song in the setlist and potentially it will be rotated with another. I pray it’s not a stinker like Superconductor.

The Pass is a band favorite. And hopefully and selfishly they rotate it with the title track.

When it comes to RTB I think there are several great classics on that album and it would not surprise me to see a heavy rotation with

Dreamline - signature song not rotated

Bravado
Roll the Bones
Ghost of a Chance
Where’s my Thing

Speculation of the various setlists is a lot of fun.

Once the tour starts I am blocking all social media and staying off. I will see two of the setlists June 24th and 26th and do not want to be spoiled.

After that I will follow all of them and eagerly anticipate what I get in November for my two Hollywood shows.

 

[Ghost Rider]

Presto would be near the bottom for me, but I still like it.

I have some nostalgia for it as it was my 1st RUSH concert and my friend and I put gum in the door of the mall we worked at to sneak in - we evaded the lone security guard all night (mostly by hiding in the coffee shop where we worked) to jump the line at Fuzzy Wuzzy (where the Ticketmaster booth was) and scored 3rd row center tickets.

That said, it’s not in my top 10. I might have to give it another listen soon to see if I’m being fair.

I suspect The Pass will be played on the tour, probably in one of the rotated spots. Geddy Lee has always called it one of his favorites.

I am hoping that is rotated with the title track which is also such a great song.

It was a nice surprise when Presto (the song) was played on the Time Machine tour. It wouldn't be high on my list of songs I want to see this tour, but it wouldn't bother me.

Xanadu alone is a masterclass in electric guitar playing.

Totally agree.

With all of those synth leads, he often had to find another way to make his guitar work for the song, and always did a great job. He was such a clever and inventive player in that era

Agree here as well - and also respect the band’s acknowledgement that they went way too far into the synth style with some of the later albums.

Feedback was such a cool throwback, and really helped the band rediscover their hard rock roots. Then the next couple albums showed it - i think Snakes & Arrows & Clockwork Angels are two of their best. Not a lot of bands can say that about their last 2 studio albums.

I know I'd have a much greater appreciation for the last two records if they sounded a lot better. S&A is weird in that it sounds great when the sections are laid back and/or mellow, but the mix sounds dry and lifeless when they rock; there is a severe lack of oomph. Clockwork Angels was probably the best collective songwriting they had done since the 80s, but the muddy mix makes it a tough listening experience. I would love for both albums to get a remix of some sort to clean them up, but I am not holding my breath.

Don’t forget that the mix of Vapor Trails sucks thanks to the “loudness wars” of the early ‘00s.

Yep, the original Vapor Trails was loud and noisy, but there was an HD version released years later that made it quite listenable (not the remix; that emasculated the fire and energy of the record). Not sure that is still available anywhere, though.

Agree on the remix. I simply do not like it.

The raw emotion and energy was nonexistent.

It is a very difficult listen due to the horrendous production and mastering.

The biggest challenge and issues were two fold.

1. They kept a lot of their demo jams as master tracks which were absolutely recorded “too hot”
2. It took 16 months to track this entire record and Geddy was left to mix and master this album and I am certain his ears were totally burnt by that time.

There are some incredibly passionate songs buried in that sonic mess:

Ceiling Unlimited
Ghost Rider
Vapor Trail
Secret Touch
Earthshine
Nocturne
Sweet Miracle
Freeze

Those are my go to songs.

One Little Victory is ok but I can do without it despite the insane Neil intro (and boisterous return clearly stating “I am back”).

As far as representing the album Presto…..I expect one song in the setlist and potentially it will be rotated with another. I pray it’s not a stinker like Superconductor.

The Pass is a band favorite. And hopefully and selfishly they rotate it with the title track.

When it comes to RTB I think there are several great classics on that album and it would not surprise me to see a heavy rotation with

Dreamline - signature song not rotated

Bravado
Roll the Bones
Ghost of a Chance
Where’s my Thing

Speculation of the various setlists is a lot of fun.

Once the tour starts I am blocking all social media and staying off. I will see two of the setlists June 24th and 26th and do not want to be spoiled.

After that I will follow all of them and eagerly anticipate what I get in November for my two Hollywood shows.

Similar to the Clockwork Angels tour, I could see The Pass and Bravado. They have a similar mood, are both beloved by the band, and both provide similar bit of a comedown from the rock that is dominant in so many other songs they are likely to play (Rush didn't do ballads, but both are among the closest they ever got, musically speaking).

Agreed about One Little Victory. The intro is awesome, but the rest of the song is pretty average. I hope they have enough distance from both that and Far Cry to know that neither is that great.

With regards to Presto, since Anika Nilles is a great groove drummer, Scars could be an interesting choice.

 

[Todem]

Presto would be near the bottom for me, but I still like it.

I have some nostalgia for it as it was my 1st RUSH concert and my friend and I put gum in the door of the mall we worked at to sneak in - we evaded the lone security guard all night (mostly by hiding in the coffee shop where we worked) to jump the line at Fuzzy Wuzzy (where the Ticketmaster booth was) and scored 3rd row center tickets.

That said, it’s not in my top 10. I might have to give it another listen soon to see if I’m being fair.

I suspect The Pass will be played on the tour, probably in one of the rotated spots. Geddy Lee has always called it one of his favorites.

I am hoping that is rotated with the title track which is also such a great song.

It was a nice surprise when Presto (the song) was played on the Time Machine tour. It wouldn't be high on my list of songs I want to see this tour, but it wouldn't bother me.

Xanadu alone is a masterclass in electric guitar playing.

Totally agree.

With all of those synth leads, he often had to find another way to make his guitar work for the song, and always did a great job. He was such a clever and inventive player in that era

Agree here as well - and also respect the band’s acknowledgement that they went way too far into the synth style with some of the later albums.

Feedback was such a cool throwback, and really helped the band rediscover their hard rock roots. Then the next couple albums showed it - i think Snakes & Arrows & Clockwork Angels are two of their best. Not a lot of bands can say that about their last 2 studio albums.

I know I'd have a much greater appreciation for the last two records if they sounded a lot better. S&A is weird in that it sounds great when the sections are laid back and/or mellow, but the mix sounds dry and lifeless when they rock; there is a severe lack of oomph. Clockwork Angels was probably the best collective songwriting they had done since the 80s, but the muddy mix makes it a tough listening experience. I would love for both albums to get a remix of some sort to clean them up, but I am not holding my breath.

Don’t forget that the mix of Vapor Trails sucks thanks to the “loudness wars” of the early ‘00s.

Yep, the original Vapor Trails was loud and noisy, but there was an HD version released years later that made it quite listenable (not the remix; that emasculated the fire and energy of the record). Not sure that is still available anywhere, though.

Agree on the remix. I simply do not like it.

The raw emotion and energy was nonexistent.

It is a very difficult listen due to the horrendous production and mastering.

The biggest challenge and issues were two fold.

1. They kept a lot of their demo jams as master tracks which were absolutely recorded “too hot”
2. It took 16 months to track this entire record and Geddy was left to mix and master this album and I am certain his ears were totally burnt by that time.

There are some incredibly passionate songs buried in that sonic mess:

Ceiling Unlimited
Ghost Rider
Vapor Trail
Secret Touch
Earthshine
Nocturne
Sweet Miracle
Freeze

Those are my go to songs.

One Little Victory is ok but I can do without it despite the insane Neil intro (and boisterous return clearly stating “I am back”).

As far as representing the album Presto…..I expect one song in the setlist and potentially it will be rotated with another. I pray it’s not a stinker like Superconductor.

The Pass is a band favorite. And hopefully and selfishly they rotate it with the title track.

When it comes to RTB I think there are several great classics on that album and it would not surprise me to see a heavy rotation with

Dreamline - signature song not rotated

Bravado
Roll the Bones
Ghost of a Chance
Where’s my Thing

Speculation of the various setlists is a lot of fun.

Once the tour starts I am blocking all social media and staying off. I will see two of the setlists June 24th and 26th and do not want to be spoiled.

After that I will follow all of them and eagerly anticipate what I get in November for my two Hollywood shows.

Similar to the Clockwork Angels tour, I could see The Pass and Bravado. They have a similar mood, are both beloved by the band, and both provide similar bit of a comedown from the rock that is dominant in so many other songs they are likely to play (Rush didn't do ballads, but both are among the closest they ever got, musically speaking).

Agreed about One Little Victory. The intro is awesome, but the rest of the song is pretty average. I hope they have enough distance from both that and Far Cry to know that neither is that great.

With regards to Presto, since Anika Nilles is a great groove drummer, Scars could be an interesting choice.

Scars would be pretty cool. Loved that on the Presto tour.

Definitely an under the radar tune.

I wonder how much Anika is expanding her kit. Because well…..she is gonna need a bigger kit (boat).

 

[fightingillini]

My friend bought 2 tickets in the 100-level at the United Center in Chicago for $940. I’m glad I saw them twice because that’s a hard pass.

I’m hoping Iron Maiden/Megadeth/Anthrax is a little lighter on the wallet.

I have seen Rush 15 times, and would love to see them one last time. I tried to get a CHI show, did the presale, and I was 5000 in the queue. By the time it was my turn, the cheapest seats were $800. Love Rush, but like FairWarning said, that is a hard pass for me. It left a really bad taste in my mouth.

 

[fightingillini]

Fifty Something — Rush.com

Official News and Information about the Legendary Rock Band Rush

www.rush.com

Something that us die hard life long Rush fans thought never possible…..The (2 remaining) boys and the “New Girl” (Anika Niles) are hitting the road in the summer of 2026 to embark on a North American tour to celebrate the legacy of Rush’s music and pay homage to the late great legend…..Neil Peart.


My son now 21 last saw Rush when he was 10 years young with me and my wife in Tampa on the R40 tour. I then travelled with my closest friend to Las Vegas to say goodbye to this band that has literally shaped and been part of my life (they represent so many threads in my fabric) since 1981.

I never ever thought after Neil retired at the end of the R40 tour and then his untimely passing in January of 2020 we would ever see Geddy and Alex play live again on a proper tour. And then several weeks ago out of the clear blue came the announcement.

I am overjoyed and incredibly excited.

My son and I will travel to Fort Worth Texas this upcoming summer to see them on June 24th and 26th from the second and 16 rows respectively.

And then in November (while my son is in college) I will see them in my home state of Florida for two shows at the Hard Rock Live in Hollywood (have great seats as well for both shows).

Rejoice Rush brothers and sisters (yes they really do have female fans).

Let the set list speculation begin.

What we know so far is they have come up with a master list of 35 songs that will make up several set-lists which they will rotate show to show. They want to have signature songs in the set that won’t change but rotate several tunes as well.

Here is my list of 35 songs as an initial guess on their list:


Working Man
By Tor & The Snow Dog
2112 Overture/Temples/Grand Finale
Xanadu
The Trees
La Villa Strangiato
The Spirit of Radio
Natural Science
Tom Sawyer
Red Barchetta
YYZ
Limelight
Vital Signs
Subdivisions
The Analog Kid
New World Man
Distant Early Warning
Red Sector A
Between The Wheels
The Big Money
Marathon
Force 10
Mission
Presto
The Pass
Dreamline
Bravado
Roll The Bones
Animate
Driven
Ghost Rider
Far Cry
Clockwork Angels
Headlong Flight
The Garden

I am not convinced they will try to play something from every album (I see you every studio album covered there except Caress of Steel), but I think they will do their best to cover every era at least a little bit.

Test for Echo was the only album ignored on the last four Rush tours, so it will be interesting to see if anything from that comes back.

I like the idea of playing Ghost Rider, given its connection to Neil.

I hope Far Cry is put to sleep like it should have been after the S&A tour (good song, but not worthy of multiple tours, much less every tour since).

I love Marathon, but Geddy couldn't sing the chorus right back in 2010, and I can't imagine it being any better now. I'd rather they leave that one alone.

I think Time Stand Still is the most likely to get played from Hold Your Fire.

Closer to the Heart and Freewill both are likely candidates.

Even though I feel they have many better songs, it would be cool to see them bring back Fly by Night, which unbelievably hasn't been played by the band since the 70s.

Geddy despises Fly By Night (the song).

To unpack this a little more, I know he has hated that song, but opinions change. I could see him coming around on it and maybe enjoying it more now. I don't do Spotify, but a quick look at their site shows that it is their 5th most listened-to song, and if Geddy and Alex are paying attention to streaming numbers at all to see what songs fans are digging the most in 2025, I could see them reconsidering a song like Fly by Night. Again, it is not one of my favorites, but I enjoy it, and I can only imagine the ovation it would get that first night when it hits the fans that, "holy crap, they are playing Fly by Night!" Play that very early in the set, like the 2nd or 3rd song, and that would be a heckuva surprise, similar to how the Snakes & Arrows tour had several big surprises very early in the first set (Digital Man, Mission, Entre Nous).

I can't see Geddy handling vocals on a lions share of Rush's pre 80's output. The only way I see Fly By Night happening......tuned down a full step. That is a really tough vocal. 2112 has been tuned down a half step since 1996/97.

I would be thrilled if we heard a full rendition of Anthem, Lakeside Park and Fly By Night......three classic early pre 2112 tunes. You know what deep cut would be really awesome?

In The End.

Such a killer underrated track that closes the Fly By Night album.

I started my front to back listen thru of every record. Something I have not done since Neil passed away. I am already up to A Farewell to Kings. I listen to one or two albums on my drive to and from the office. Once we get to HYF and beyond we won't be able to listen to it on a one way drive LOL. I remember when albums were 25-30 minutes max......the good old days of vinyl.

I have a couple friends who swear by In the End, but that one has always been one of those "it's okay" songs that I never reach for.

On more days than not, Permanent Waves is my favorite Rush record, and that one is just a shade under 36 minutes. It's wild to think of what some of those album lengths were back then. The 90s overcorrected in the wrong direction thanks to too many bands taking the "hey, we can get almost 80 minutes of music on to a single CD, let's fill it to the max" approach.

I don't expect it, but Here Again from the debut it a nice deep cut that could easily be sang by Geddy. It's not a tough vocal, and it has a calmer, bluesy feel that is a departure for Rush relative to everything else they've done.

My top 10 Rush albums

1. Permanent Waves
2. Moving Pictures
3. Signals
4. Hemispheres
5. Power Windows
6. Grace Under Pressure
7. 2112
8. A Farewell To Kings
9. Hold Your Fire
10. Roll The Bones

I always tier my Rush album rankings

Tier 1 - Hemispheres, Permanent Waves, Moving Pictures
Tier 2 - AFTK, 2112, Clockwork Angels, Signals
Tier 3 - Fly By Night, Caress of Steel, Grace Under Pressure, Counterparts
Tier 4 - Rush, Power Windows, Snakes and Arrows, Test for Echo
Tier 5 - Presto, Vapor Trails, Roll the Bones, Hold Your Fire

 

[fightingillini]

Remember that these shows are going to be much shorter than in the recent past. From 1997-2015, they played for almost 3 hours and had no opening act. These shows are going to be much shorter, probably around 2 hours. I would expect a medley of songs like they did for R30. The opening medley for that tour was so awesome.

 

[Todem]

Remember that these shows are going to be much shorter than in the recent past. From 1997-2015, they played for almost 3 hours and had no opening act. These shows are going to be much shorter, probably around 2 hours. I would expect a medley of songs like they did for R30. The opening medley for that tour was so awesome.

Disgaree.....Rush shows went 2:45 of music and stage time since 1996/1997 15 minute intermission.

I am pretty confident these will go 2:15-2:20 of stage time with a 15 minute intermission.

Not just 2 hours of stage time. Cutting 45 minutes? No...I don't think so. 15-20 minutes? Yes.

I am all for a medley like R30. But just one. And yeah the R30 Overture was outstanding.

 

[Todem]

Fifty Something — Rush.com

Official News and Information about the Legendary Rock Band Rush

www.rush.com

Something that us die hard life long Rush fans thought never possible…..The (2 remaining) boys and the “New Girl” (Anika Niles) are hitting the road in the summer of 2026 to embark on a North American tour to celebrate the legacy of Rush’s music and pay homage to the late great legend…..Neil Peart.


My son now 21 last saw Rush when he was 10 years young with me and my wife in Tampa on the R40 tour. I then travelled with my closest friend to Las Vegas to say goodbye to this band that has literally shaped and been part of my life (they represent so many threads in my fabric) since 1981.

I never ever thought after Neil retired at the end of the R40 tour and then his untimely passing in January of 2020 we would ever see Geddy and Alex play live again on a proper tour. And then several weeks ago out of the clear blue came the announcement.

I am overjoyed and incredibly excited.

My son and I will travel to Fort Worth Texas this upcoming summer to see them on June 24th and 26th from the second and 16 rows respectively.

And then in November (while my son is in college) I will see them in my home state of Florida for two shows at the Hard Rock Live in Hollywood (have great seats as well for both shows).

Rejoice Rush brothers and sisters (yes they really do have female fans).

Let the set list speculation begin.

What we know so far is they have come up with a master list of 35 songs that will make up several set-lists which they will rotate show to show. They want to have signature songs in the set that won’t change but rotate several tunes as well.

Here is my list of 35 songs as an initial guess on their list:


Working Man
By Tor & The Snow Dog
2112 Overture/Temples/Grand Finale
Xanadu
The Trees
La Villa Strangiato
The Spirit of Radio
Natural Science
Tom Sawyer
Red Barchetta
YYZ
Limelight
Vital Signs
Subdivisions
The Analog Kid
New World Man
Distant Early Warning
Red Sector A
Between The Wheels
The Big Money
Marathon
Force 10
Mission
Presto
The Pass
Dreamline
Bravado
Roll The Bones
Animate
Driven
Ghost Rider
Far Cry
Clockwork Angels
Headlong Flight
The Garden

I am not convinced they will try to play something from every album (I see you every studio album covered there except Caress of Steel), but I think they will do their best to cover every era at least a little bit.

Test for Echo was the only album ignored on the last four Rush tours, so it will be interesting to see if anything from that comes back.

I like the idea of playing Ghost Rider, given its connection to Neil.

I hope Far Cry is put to sleep like it should have been after the S&A tour (good song, but not worthy of multiple tours, much less every tour since).

I love Marathon, but Geddy couldn't sing the chorus right back in 2010, and I can't imagine it being any better now. I'd rather they leave that one alone.

I think Time Stand Still is the most likely to get played from Hold Your Fire.

Closer to the Heart and Freewill both are likely candidates.

Even though I feel they have many better songs, it would be cool to see them bring back Fly by Night, which unbelievably hasn't been played by the band since the 70s.

Geddy despises Fly By Night (the song).

To unpack this a little more, I know he has hated that song, but opinions change. I could see him coming around on it and maybe enjoying it more now. I don't do Spotify, but a quick look at their site shows that it is their 5th most listened-to song, and if Geddy and Alex are paying attention to streaming numbers at all to see what songs fans are digging the most in 2025, I could see them reconsidering a song like Fly by Night. Again, it is not one of my favorites, but I enjoy it, and I can only imagine the ovation it would get that first night when it hits the fans that, "holy crap, they are playing Fly by Night!" Play that very early in the set, like the 2nd or 3rd song, and that would be a heckuva surprise, similar to how the Snakes & Arrows tour had several big surprises very early in the first set (Digital Man, Mission, Entre Nous).

I can't see Geddy handling vocals on a lions share of Rush's pre 80's output. The only way I see Fly By Night happening......tuned down a full step. That is a really tough vocal. 2112 has been tuned down a half step since 1996/97.

I would be thrilled if we heard a full rendition of Anthem, Lakeside Park and Fly By Night......three classic early pre 2112 tunes. You know what deep cut would be really awesome?

In The End.

Such a killer underrated track that closes the Fly By Night album.

I started my front to back listen thru of every record. Something I have not done since Neil passed away. I am already up to A Farewell to Kings. I listen to one or two albums on my drive to and from the office. Once we get to HYF and beyond we won't be able to listen to it on a one way drive LOL. I remember when albums were 25-30 minutes max......the good old days of vinyl.

I have a couple friends who swear by In the End, but that one has always been one of those "it's okay" songs that I never reach for.

On more days than not, Permanent Waves is my favorite Rush record, and that one is just a shade under 36 minutes. It's wild to think of what some of those album lengths were back then. The 90s overcorrected in the wrong direction thanks to too many bands taking the "hey, we can get almost 80 minutes of music on to a single CD, let's fill it to the max" approach.

I don't expect it, but Here Again from the debut it a nice deep cut that could easily be sang by Geddy. It's not a tough vocal, and it has a calmer, bluesy feel that is a departure for Rush relative to everything else they've done.

My top 10 Rush albums

1. Permanent Waves
2. Moving Pictures
3. Signals
4. Hemispheres
5. Power Windows
6. Grace Under Pressure
7. 2112
8. A Farewell To Kings
9. Hold Your Fire
10. Roll The Bones

I always tier my Rush album rankings

Tier 1 - Hemispheres, Permanent Waves, Moving Pictures
Tier 2 - AFTK, 2112, Clockwork Angels, Signals
Tier 3 - Fly By Night, Caress of Steel, Grace Under Pressure, Counterparts
Tier 4 - Rush, Power Windows, Snakes and Arrows, Test for Echo
Tier 5 - Presto, Vapor Trails, Roll the Bones, Hold Your Fire

Tier 1 Permanent Waves, Moving Pictures, Hemispheres, Signals, Power Windows, Grace Under Pressure, 2112
Tier 2 AFTK, HYF, RTB, CA, FBN, CP
Tier 3 COS, T4E, Presto, S&A
Tier 4 Rush, VT

 

[Ghost Rider]

Remember that these shows are going to be much shorter than in the recent past. From 1997-2015, they played for almost 3 hours and had no opening act. These shows are going to be much shorter, probably around 2 hours. I would expect a medley of songs like they did for R30. The opening medley for that tour was so awesome.

Disgaree.....Rush shows went 2:45 of music and stage time since 1996/1997 15 minute intermission.

I am pretty confident these will go 2:15-2:20 of stage time with a 15 minute intermission.

Not just 2 hours of stage time. Cutting 45 minutes? No...I don't think so. 15-20 minutes? Yes.

I am all for a medley like R30. But just one. And yeah the R30 Overture was outstanding.

I usually dislike live medleys (they are usually nothing but major teases), but I viewed the R309 Overture as containing little sections of songs that mostly had no chance of getting played in full, so I was happy to get a few toppings from each. A similar-type R50 Overture could be pretty sweet.

 

[Brunell4MVP]

Moving Pictures is so frickin good. But I'm jamming to Permanent Waves this morning. The instrumental composition on that album is money.

 

[TripItUp]

I saw this thread and immediately thought of this clip

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

www.youtube.com

 

[Todem]

I saw this thread and immediately thought of this clip

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

www.youtube.com

Hey and I mean this affectionally …..yer taste in yer ***. You can see yourself out now.

LOL.