It's really cool to hear Alex paying agressively again. There used to be some debate over Alex Lifeson's greatness as a guitar player, especially during the 80's When he was known for his shimmering, chorus-drenched, big chord sound. At the time I would dispel any arguments by playing the guitar solo from Natural Science off of Permanent Waves, but today, this whole album showcases what a great player he really is.

Aww come on...not even By-Tor and the Snow Dog? It was the start of their prog days! Plus Neil seems so eager to please on that album since it's his first with the band.

Caress of Steel was good in its own way, but I can see how it wasn't received well at the time. I mean...if By-Tor was the only hint of the prog to come, I'm sure Caress of Steel really threw people off because - let's face it - it was WAY too prog for them at the time.

I will argue with anyone about Alex's skill as a guitarist. I would argue he knows when to hold back (though I wish he showed off a little more on those 80's albums you are talking about). His chord voicings and progressions are actually pretty complicated. He used a pretty ingenious blend of straight ahead rock and classical guitar playing. I credit learning Rush songs for really improving my guitar playing. Because of Alex, I've really been able to explore open chords more fully.

you're absolutely right, and sometimes the mark of a great musician is choosing to play what the music calls for rather than playing what's going to blatantly show off your ability. His chord voicings and progressions were very complex and the fact that his playing blended so seamlessly with the music, to the point where one had to pay close attention to his parts to even begin to have an idea what he was playing, really stands as a testament to his musicianship.

Great post because it compares three completely unrelated Rush albums, which is what I love about Rush: everyone has their own favorite. For me, Clockwork Angels is the easy winner, and I'll quote my own Clockwork Angels review...

"Rush took a back to basics approach to their songwriting on their storybook concept album Clockwork Angels. This resulted in a new overall sound fueled by their fiery filled playing, and the outcome is arguably Rush’s best album. Personally, I can’t call Clockwork Angels my favorite Rush album because I have a nostalgic anchor that has been buried for decades deep in the sands of albums like A Farewell to Kings, Hemispheres, Moving Pictures, Signals, Power Windows, and Hold Your Fire. And, I don’t think there could ever be a wave, even one as powerful as Clockwork Angels, that could move that un-rusted anchor. However, listening to Clockwork Angels objectively, I will say that although it might not be my personal favorite Rush album, I think it is their best album."

By the way, I saw Rush last night in Charlotte, and the Clockwork Angels tracks were amazing live. I'll be seeing them tomorrow in Atlanta as well.

Test For Echo. Rush is a band of a mind-blowing calibre!

I picked Test For Echo from the list mainly because to me Clockwork Angels sounded too dark and heavy for me, not really a fan of Snakes & Arrows either. Don't get me wrong they're great albums, anything by Rush is (yes even their debut album Led Zeppelin V). And I literally have nothing bad to say about 2112, I just personally think TFE sounds better and I find myself listening to it more often than 2112.

Wow. Cant believe test and clockwork got any votes.

Of the three albums listed I'd definitely pick '2112'. However, 'Clockwork Angels' is a better album than 'Test For Echo'. As far as the title tracks go, I'd pick 'Test For Echo' over 'Clockwork Angels' though. :wave:

Ca
 

Of the three choices I pick Clockwork Angels. Everything from Rush touring with strings to Alex writing the original bass/keyboards and Geddy writing the lead guitar on one song, to Neil's layers of stories he weaves throughout CA, it is different and displays a level of musicianship/perfectionism beyond what I've experienced in the other two choices. This by the band who always challenged themselves to improve and learn new instruments for ~ 40 years.

I prefer other albums as my favorites, but of the choices listed by the OP, that is my pick.

2112 holds a special place in my heart in that it kicks ass. My brother was a pre-hipster hipster and bought it on vinyl before collecting vinyl was cool - it was just cheap than buying CDs - so I heard it Side A first, then flipped it over. Side A is probably the coolest and least pretentious prog rock suite ever. It tells an weird sci-fi story but without the music being bloated and the guitar & keyboard solos overstaying their welcome like a lotta prog. Also, in a time before computers and the playing to 'grid' were standard issue in all recording studios, the music is amazingly tight. Plus, watching Neil Peart play that payload of a drum kit is crazy!

And then you get Side B, which is a great breather after the epic because it's just one great standalone tune one after the other. So that's my vote and reasoning behind it: 2112!