Best Song on Rush's "Moving Pictures"

So is "The Camera Eye" the "Carouselambra" of this album? I do like it, but when I first heard the album all the way through I was kinda WTF about it.

Aside, I'd rate "Tom Sawyer" dead last. I'll be happy never hearing that song again.

Red Barchetta
YYZ
The Camera Eye
Limelight
Vital Signs
Witch Hunt
Tom Sawyer

Hmm, "Witch Hunt" - I was always irritated by Geddy's over-enunciation of that middle syllable in "pre-JU-dice" - yeah, I get it. Not exactly one of Neil Peart's most scintillating puns (if it was intended as such.)

Anyways, for driving fast on a summer night, "Red Barchetta". The rest of the time it's boring old "Tom Sawyer". (As predictable as my selection of "More Than A Feeling" on the Boston poll, for sure; but, come on - these bands don't designate their album-openers at random, y'know.)

"Vital Signs" has always been my favorite Rush song. And I still have no clue what it's about. After reading the lyrics again for the first time in about, oh, twenty years, I'm getting the impression it's dissing rappers and new wavers.

Anyhoo, some reggae titan should cover it if they haven't already. Might really bring out that intensity in the last minute for people who have never been to Canada.

gotta go with the boring obvious choice, "tom sawyer." it's one of a handful of rush songs where they go far above and beyond their abilities ("the spirit of radio" is another that springs to mind), and, not coincidentally, is one of a handful of rush songs that swings.

I went for Tom Saywer over Red Barchetta and YYZ, mostly because Peart didn't write the lyrics so they're not as embarrasing as usual.

Tom Sawyer and YYZ deathmatch

otm. It really does make voting impossible.

"Red Barchetta", the very apex of all Rush;

[cheesy metaphor about individualism, that doesn't really work, including giveaway reference to "a better-MANAGED time"]

x

[fantastic WHOOSHING noise *crucially* occuring at the point at which you expect the guitar solo to *start* - *is* it a guitar? - followed by 3-way supernoodle build back towards the riff culminating in a piss-takingly genius Peart drum roll]

=

"Red Barchetta" is, like the hero of an Ayn Rand novel, so great as to be ultimately beyond the moral and aesthetic reckoning of almost all who encounter it, including me.

Limelight, easy...

I know it won't win, but I just love "The Camera Eye". I wish Rush would put it in their live show. "Red Barchetta" comes second for me. Don't really understand the "Tom Sawyer" hate. I basically think this whole record is perfect, but then I'm an insane Rush fan.

I forgot to mention that "The Camera Eye" has my favorite Alex Lifeson solo, and that's saying something for a guy who's done about a million amazing guitar solos.

My high school rock band did a note-for-note perfect cover of Red Barchetta. God, I really hope the video of us playing that at a HS dance hasn't made its way onto YouTube.

Somewhere there are videos of my high school band doing some very poor Rush covers. Oh, the horror!

I remember singing Red Barchetta at some school function which was very embarrassing because A)I didn't know the words and B)I couldn't sing to save my life.

It's hard for me to remember exactly how many of the songs go until I hear them again, but from what I recall, Witch Hunt wins.

[cheesy metaphor about individualism, that doesn't really work, including giveaway reference to "a better-MANAGED time"]

That's actually "better, vanished time"

YYZ

"Vanished" time???

Oh.

In that case, VOTE FOR YYZ!

what an awesome record.

i voted for "limelight" because there's something about the chord change to the "put aside the indignation, get on with the fascination, the real relation, the underlying dreeeeeeeam" part that really gets me.

Limelight also has the 'illusion' note in the guitar solo (i.e. the last note that seems to ring out forever...)

Yep, "Limelight".

You know, I've been thinking about this, and I think if I were to pull out the album then I would regret my choice and probably vote for YYZ. But I'm doing this all from memory. Ah hell, I'm gonna pull it out right now and get this settled.

I'll never forget Red Barchetta being the first song I heard as I walked into a giant venue where they were playing. It echoed all over the place, just made me melt, I couldn't think straight. "oh god...let's go...find our seat NOW..." This was sometime in the early 90's. Sometimes I forget I ever saw them live. I don't know why.

I love the hell out of Red Barchetta, which is weird because I don't like cars. I'd totally vote for "the motor law." Beautiful song though.

Okay...after much listening deliberation here...I'd say my fave is really "The Camera Eye", but that's only because "Limelight" is kinda overplayed at this point.

So can I trade my vote to the Camera Eye?

YYZ wasn't even close.

I forgot to mention that "The Camera Eye" has my favorite Alex Lifeson solo

I agree--that's one of his best.

Kind of their last-ever prog epic, uh?

I think Lifeson said King Crimson's Discipline was one of his favorite albums, and I hear a little bit of an influence on that solo
(especially towards the beginning of it).

i hear a lot of andy summers in lifeson's 80s solos.

Totally. You can also tell when he bought his first U2 album, not long after that.

Though "Limelight" was invariably the song that made me buy the album, I'm going to have to go with "Witch Hunt."

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

Tom Sawyer my ass! Quit listening to classic rock radio 24/7 will ya? Or did people just vote for that because they haven't heard the rest of the album?

I used to know this album inside and out, loved all of it. 15 years later, the only song I really remember is Tom Sawyer, which probably says something about the kind of song it is.

put aside the alienation

Or did people just vote for that because they haven't heard the rest of the album?

i'm guessing people voted for it because they heard the rest of the album.

<i>I think Lifeson said King Crimson's Discipline was one of his favorite albums, and I hear a little bit of an influence on that solo
(especially towards the beginning of it).</i>

I'm pretty sure Moving Pictures came out before Discipline, but I can definitely hear the influence on some of Rush's stuff that came out after.

Darn, ILM formatting! It is clearly too late at night for me to get it right...

how long a run did lifeson have writing perfect guitar solos, every one is like an example in a history of rock 101 textbook

This is definitely 'Red Barchetta' for me.

how long a run did lifeson have writing perfect guitar solos, every one is like an example in a history of rock 101 textbook

Right? The more recent albums do have good moments but some of the spark that is here seems to be gone, not only in the lead guitar playing but in rhythmic inventiveness, tunecraft, compositional integrity.

Like, every song on side 1 of this seems really perfectly and uniquely put together to me.

Agreed. This album is honed to perfection. Lifesons greatest moment-aside from Strangiato.

Rush really rules.

Also, his solos were weird. Same thing with Neil's drums, actually - just totally strange, unexpected fills. But Lifeson, man, a song like "Tom Sawyer" is pretty simple on guitar ... until he hits the solo and goes gonzo.

That is a fucking bizarre solo that still goes down smooth as hell. The guy was clicking on all cylinders. He also makes Barcherta what it is.

Heard YYZ in the car today. Goddamm

the guitar runs in "camera eye" slay -- echoes of "la villa strangiato"

The whole record is great but I think Rush's Tom Sawyer is one of those perhaps rare songs where the most popular song by the band is the groups best track. It's pretty much Rush's sound boiled down into a single ingot.

Heard "Vital Signs" today while getting coffee... feel like it kinda got robbed here.

What got robbed was "The Camera Eye." But the whole record is unbeatable.

the focus is sharp (distance!) in the city city!

rush otm

lol
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mCY88iuzo0

That was probably right around the time they toured with Rush for Roll the Bones.

Red Barchetta is so great.

http://www.opumo.com/magazine/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Ferrari-275S-340-America-2.jpg

In every way authentic and among the rarest of the rare, this Ferrari 275S 340 America Barchetta is set to be among the superstars of the current Californian auction season.

huh

i always thought it would be pointier

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