Chronicles - Rush (CD 1990)

Let me start things off by explaining my rating of four out of five stars. Chronicles is really a pretty good set, with some of Rush's better songs included on the two discs. However, as a big fan of Rush who owns somewhere around fifteen or so of their albums, I find Chronicles to be somewhat incomplete. Not only do I question some of the songs included in the set (especially on the second disc), but there are many songs I would have liked to have seen included which were not. My point here is that the star I've left off in the rating is a reflection on the faults of this particular collection, rather than the music itself. Even with those problems, however, it's still a pretty good collection, especially for newer Rush fans.

Now that I've gotten that out of the way, on to more important things. Rush is living proof that one does not have to be Top 40 material in order to be successful in the music industry. Going back to their debut in 1970, they have had only one Top 40 hit ever on their twenty or so studio albums. Even that song, "New World Man" from the Signals album, only reached #34, I believe. As it so happens, this particular song was really not especially good.

Despite their utter lack of success in pop music circles, Rush has amassed an enormous following. While some would refer to Rush's fan base as an "underground" following, I prefer not to; I just hate the thought of Rush being placed in the same category as "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" and Bjork. At any rate, they have sold millions upon millions of albums and never fail to sell out a concert.

Chronicles is the culmination of Rush's first twenty years of groundbreaking and unique rock music. Despite having changed their style as radically and almost as often as The Beatles, Rush has always somehow managed to keep pumping out great music. They seem to have slowed a bit over the last several years, as they have begun to succumb to the predictable challenges posed by age and domestic life. Even so, I can only hope that this will continue for a few more years.

Track Listing

Disc I

1. Finding My Way
2. Working Man

These first two are both from Rush's self-titled, first major-label album. They contain a unique brand of hard, expressive rock that Rush would continue to develop over the next few years, although still in its less mature stages. Of course, these were both recorded before the arrival of drummer Neil Peart, who has since become known as possibly the best drummer ever. These tracks feature more of an emphasis on Alex Lifeson's guitarwork than in some of their later albums.

3. Fly By Night

The only selection from the album of the same name, "Fly By Night" is just an excellent song in all aspects. No one instrument or part of the song overshadows the others, and the entire composition is quite good. Though not as heavy as some of their earlier songs, "Fly By Night" still retains Rush's distinctive style. This is also the first Rush song I can recall having heard. The song's only negative aspect is how difficult it can be to understand Geddy Lee's wailing voice.

4. Anthem

"Anthem" is exactly what it says; it's also one of my favorite Rush songs. While it has somewhat of a distinctively negative tone to it, the message it delivers is definitely worth considering. "Anthem" is composed in much the same hard rock style as the majority of the other songs on Caress of Steel.

5. Bastille Day

The first song on the album I just mentioned, "Bastille Day" tells the story of the turning-point of the French Revolution. Other than serving as a history lesson, however, the solid, hard sound of this song sets the tone for the rest of the album. Geddy screeches a lot, too.

6. Lakeside Park

This is one of my favorite songs by Rush, and certainly my favorite from Caress of Steel, despite the fact that I know nothing of the real-life location upon which it is based. "Lakeside Park" is yet another of the many Rush compositions whose clean, unique style makes it thoroughly enjoyable to listen to, notwithstanding the lyrics. Besides, the lyrics are perfectly fine; they just don't mean anything to me personally.

7. 2112: Overture/Temples of Syrinx

While 2112, one of Rush's true epics, is an excellent song, this particular version of it is missing the majority of the original, 20-minute recording. If you ask me, they should either have included the entire song or none at all.

8. What You're Doing [Live]

The obligatory live song for a Greatest Hits collection. It serves its purpose.

9. A Farewell to Kings

This is one of my favorite songs off the Rush album of the same name. Interesting guitar and fantasy-oriented lyrics highlight both this particular song and the rest of the album, making it certainly one of the more interesting offerings in Rush's history.

10. Closer to the Heart

If Rush has achieved "cult" status due to its so-called "underground" following, then "Closer to the Heart" must certainly be considered a "cult classic." While many fans of the song are entirely unfamiliar with the album from which it came (A Farewell to Kings), "Closer" has transcended its role on that album and become somewhat of an anthem to many fans. Personally, I think it's a very good song, but certainly not one of the best even on that album.

11. The Trees

I have long since forgotten which real-life situation about which Neil Peart originally wrote this song, but it has certainly become a Rush classic as well. "The Trees" has a very similar sound to that of "Xanadu," and is about as epic, both in storyline and in length.

12. La Villa Strangiato

If there's a song that showcases the sheer talent of the three members of Rush, "La Villa Strangiato" is it. In this song you can hear some of the almost unfathomable things Lifeson, Lee, and Peart can do with their instruments. It's really something, and it's got one of the best rhythms of any song I've ever heard. The written word cannot do justice to the musical depth and beauty of "La Villa Strangiato" (at least not my written word).

13. Free Will

This has long been one of my very favorite Rush songs, and its message remains quite powerful. The musical aspect of "Free Will" is perhaps best described as "complete," meaning that, like many of Rush's offerings, it just all goes together very well. It just works. Lyrically speaking, I find the message contained in "Free Will" to be both compelling and thought-provoking.

14. The Spirit of Radio

Another of Rush's most popular songs. If you somehow haven't heard it yet, then you should definitely give it a listen -- although I'm questioning why anyone with that little exposure to Rush would be considering purchasing their Greatest Hits compilation.

Disc II

1. Tom Sawyer

From Moving Pictures, this is one of Rush's best-known songs. Any time one of the stations around here plays a Rush song on the radio, the odds are about ten to one that it'll be either this one, "Closer to the Heart," "The Spirit of Radio," or maybe "Free Will." That having been said, I'm really quite sick of "Tom Sawyer." If I try to ignore that fact, however, it's really a pretty decent song, although I certainly don't think it's one of their best.

2. Red Barchetta

A song about a boy and his car, and also from Moving Pictures. Amusing, listenable, and certainly good, but it may get a bit old after awhile.

3. Limelight

In seemingly the same vein as "The Camera Eye," this song discusses the finer points of, well, living in the limelight. "Limelight" follows a somewhat slower, synth-ridden style shared by the rest of the "Moving Pictures" album, but is still excellent.

4. A Passage to Bangkok [Live]

Simply: not bad, but not great. This live version of a somewhat bland and repetitious Rush song is similar to the studio version. In the right mood I find myself able to enjoy "Passage," but most times I find that it bores me.

5. Subdivisions

Lots of keyboards and synthesizers. That's the first thing you'll notice about "Subdivisions;" whether that's a good thing or a bad thing remains a matter of personal preference. In my opinion, however, "Subdivisions" is an interesting, thought-provoking, and solid offering which hangs together extremely well. Taken individually, no one element of this song is spectacular, but taken as a whole, the song is quite listenable and very good.

6. New World Man

As I mentioned earlier, this was Rush's only Top 40 hit. Other than that fact and some relatively good lyrics, the sappy and somewhat boring style of "New World Man" is rather unimpressive.

7. Distant Early Warning
8. Red Sector A
9. The Big Money
10. Manhattan Project
11. Force Ten

During the early to mid-1980s, Rush had a string of relatively bland and seemingly uninspired albums which I jokingly refer to as "The Forgotten Rush Albums." This is a take-off on those to whom some historians refer as "The Forgotten Presidents," such as, well, you know, that guy. Anyway, you get the idea. Swerving back on-topic, these albums were not terrible, but were somewhat of a disappointment for many Rush fans at the time. They clearly reflected the uncertainty going on in the music industry at that time as to where rock music was going, and they were all pretty much just "eh." While I'm sure Rush picked up many new fans during that time period, I agree with most old-school Rush fans about these songs. These are the types of songs I would often skip over if listening to this CD.

12. Time Stand Still

Although also from one of the "Forgotten Albums," this song did manage to transcend the level of mediocrity. It shares the excellent lyrical style of Neil Peart of all Rush songs, and there's just something catchy about it which underlies its somewhat monotonous quality.

13. Mystic Rhythms [Live]

To be honest, I had never heard this song before listening to this CD. Even now, I'm not sure on which album, if any, "Mystic Rhythms" was originally recorded. That having been said, this live version can't have been very memorable either, since I can't remember a thing about it right now.

14. Show Don't Tell

One of the best songs from the 1989 album Presto, "Show Don't Tell" once again combines lyrics I enjoy with an excellent and unique musical style. Though not nearly as heavy as several of the songs on Rush's early albums, "Show Don't Tell" has the best beat of any Rush song I can recall which was produce for several years before that. This song and the others on Presto embodied what seemed to be the beginning of another period of strong but eloquent music in Rush's musical career. Unfortunately, I'm not sure that this new style or period has yet completely come into its fruition.

Like I said earlier, Chronicles remains, overall, a pretty good collection. Some of the songs contained on these two discs are excellent, while a few are just so-so. This would be an excellent purchase for anyone who knows a little bit about Rush and wants to know more, or for someone who's had a hard time finding some of their more well-known songs. For the consummate fan, however, Chronicles may fall somewhat short of expectations.