Customer Reviews

Retrospective I

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

There are two Rush compilations available. One is 'Chronicles', a double CD set. Another is Retrospective. This album is the part one of the Retrospective set. Retrospective set gives certain flexibility... you can opt for the early period or later period or BOTH.

This album covers the following albums

Rush(1 song), Fly by night(3 songs), Caress of Steel(1 song), 2112(3 songs, actually 1.25 songs), A farewell to kings(2 songs), Hemisphere(2 songs), Permanent Waves(2 songs).

No point to argue regarding the track selection. Only point is whether you should buy a compilation by Rush or not! Rush being a very much album band, you should buy albums. So you should go for one of the famous six (2112, A farewell to kings, Hemisphere, Permanent Waves, Moving Pictures, Signals). Still there is one point that promotes the compilation, Rush is also a 'love them' or 'hate them' kind of band (I love them). So you may need to decide which kind are they. So in that case you may need one of this as a starting point. If you interested in rocking. Go for Retrospective 1. For the keyboard sound try Retrospective 2.

If you like them start buying the albums. They are G-R-E-A-T.

This album and its companion volume Retrospective II: 1981-1987 are rather pointless exercises. Rush had already released an admirable comprehensive retrospective back in 1990, the excellent double-disc Chronicles, which took two songs from each of their studio albums (three in the case of Moving Pictures) and augmented them with selected tracks from each of their three live albums at that point in their career. Now years later, Rush's money-grubbing manager Ray Danniels convinced them to milk their past again by releasing two separate (and therefore more expensive when purchased together) compilations rehashing most of the same songs and adding in a few of their more epic pieces ("Xanadu", "By-Tor and the Snow Dog") which were too long to cram onto Chronicles. I know Danniels is the mastermind behind this, because when he later became the manager of Van Halen he tried to convince them to do the same, releasing two volumes of greatest hits separately compiling the David Lee Roth and the Sammy Hagar eras. He lost that battle, only managing the milk the fans for a single-disc VH best-of.

Diehard Rush fans will tell you to skip both Chronicles and the Retrospective volumes and instead purchase all of the Rush CD's, since that is the context in which they are best enjoyed. As an in-betweener, I can tell you that the Chronicles set is a more broad overview, even if it's at the expense of some of their longer songs with mutliple movements and time signature changes (plus, Chronicles includes the excellent "Working Man", missing here). But then if it's the longer stuff you enjoy and not their shorter, more commercial material, then you DEFINITELY have no business looking at either Chronclies or the Retrospectives. Start collecting all the Rush CD's!

3 stars because it's still great material, but the way it's been repackaged yet again is kind of shameless.

As with Chronicles (and the other disc in this compilation) it is impossible to argue with the fine music, some of the best prog ever committed to tape, no one doubts their quality. However, since Rush is, and always has been, an album band they are better served by buying some of their great albums (I reccommend 2112, Kings, Hemispheres, Moving Pictures, Permanent Waves, and Signals as their absolute best, and first purchases, although they have many other fine albums as well. Besides, it's no fun listening to an edited version of 2112.

As a die-hard Rush fan, I think this and it's sister release, 'Retrospective 1981-1987' are both better bets than the more popular single-disc release 'Spirit of Radio: Greatest Hits 1974-1987' release.

As a longtime Rush fan as well, I prefer the 1974-1980 period over the 1981-1987 period. Here are all of the hits in one cheap little package spanning the years before Rush became the icons that they eventually became.

'The Spirit of Radio,' 'Something For Nothing,' 'The Trees,' 'Freewill' and 'Bastille Day' are all here on this set. And, Mercury gets extra points for remastering this. In translation, the sound quality is excellent!

Overall, if you had to pick just one Rush single disc compilation, than I would go with this one. It's the best of the best from one of the best ever.

Highly recommended for any Rush fan. ENJOY!!!

I can't think of anything that is wrong with this set. It is very good. There are a lot of songs I would have selected to introduce to the new fan on here. I wholeheartedly recommend it. I am very happy they included "xanadu" and "something for nothing," they really give this more of an adventurous feel. And I am glad they had the guts to mix and mash a bit, but I kind of hope that the new fan will check out the full version of "2112." Anyone should get this set and its companion cd.

I grew up with Rush. The story started when they came out with the Hemisphere album which had the nicest song I ever listened "Villa strangiato". I still believe it is their best song and I am not of fan of instrumental songs usually. My second favorite "The tree" was on that album too. "Xanadu" from a previous album is my third favorite. Only "Working man" is missing.

Money making album, maybe, but I think they picked the best songs on every albums to put it on there. On all Rush albums that I have, this one is the most played.

Exceptional musicians. Next time I will pay the damned money to go and see them in concert.

Over all this disc is a great overview of thier earlier music, but I was disappointed by the "quicky" version of 2112.

I had made it a point in one of my previous reviews of a Rush album that when I had acquired the two Rush Retrospectives, I would also review them soon after. Well, it has been a while, but like I said, I'm back. I'm listening to it right now, it's up to "Closer To The Heart", the one track that numerous fans are quite sick of hearing these many time over again in their live performances. The main reason why I bought these two collections is because they could offer a little bit more than what was already included on "Chronicles". The difference between the two is that one this one, there is no "Lakeside Park" or the studio version of "What You're Doing", which I really think should have been included on here instead of the ancient and god-awful sounding "Finding My Way", Rush's first and worst. Also, I like the sound of the newly included rock ballads "Xanadu" and "By-Tor And The Snow Dog", which I don't think sounds silly at all according to one music critic. They're both all right. "Something For Nothing" from "2112" is here as well, when I reviewed that album, I said I hadn't heard what else it had to offer besides the title cut and the original studio version of "A Passage To Bangkok". I liked it too, after all, Geddy Lee was always this helium-high sounding in the '70's, it seemed. In overview, I really like this collection, you shouls get it for yourself. I shall be back soon to write my review of "Retro II"!

I think what previous reviewers are missing with Retrospective I and II (As well as Gold, just released) is that it is not Rush or their manager milking anyone... It's Mercury/Polygram. That being said, this is a very respectable collection of songs, and well worth a listen for anyone who enjoys Rush.

Anything post "A Show of Hands" was on Atlantic records, hence owned by a different company and not included. I agree, you want to REALLY experience Rush, go buy the full albums. However, if you are just learning (or trying to collect everything, like me) then I say buy whatever albums you enjoy!

This CD has plenty of great songs and buying this along with Retrospective II will satisfy just about everyone's Rush needs. Not quite as good as the next installment, but still a great CD!