It's hard to have RUSH as your favorite band. For one, it seems that no one can get past Geddy Lee's voice ("who is that chick and why is she screeching like that?" "I like their music, but man, I can't stand the singing") For two, their few mediocre songs (Tom Sawyer, Closer to the Heart) are the ones that actually get airplay... so the popular judgments are based on songs that don't really capture the true essence of Rush. This is sad since Rush--beyond the questionable taste in vocals--has recorded some of the best MUSIC over the past 30 years. Some stuff is just so interesting that it HAS to be shared with friends... but just try to put in a Rush CD with one of these people in your car. Not going to happen... unless...
Here's what you need:
-A computer with a CD Burner and burning software (use Nero's newest program with the NORMALIZING option--so all songs have the same volume).
-A Wave-Editing program. I use the one found here:
http://www.nch.com.au/wavepad/index.html
-The following RUSH CD's: 2112, A Farewell to Kings, Hemispheres, Permanent Waves, Moving Pictures, Roll the Bones, and Counterparts if you do not own these... what's wrong with you?
HERE'S WHAT YOU DO:
Grab your 2112, Farewell to Kings, and Hemispheres CD's. Each of these CD's contain signature, epic songs with instrumental overtures--meaning you can get a good 4 minute instrumental on your mix by cutting out the portions with singing. So, on 2112 cut out everything after "And the meek shall inherit the Earth." On Cygnus X-1, cut out everything after the final instrumental BUMP BUMP BUMP--right before it kicks into the portion with singing. It's easy to spot with the Wave Editor--just look for the major valleys next to the peaks. Do the same with Hemispheres. Save each file as MP-3's and you're ready to burn!
Open up your burning program and make this playlist:
1) 2112 (edit)
2) Cygnus X-1 (edit)
3) Cygnus X-1 pt. 2: Hemispheres (edit)
4) La Villa Strangiatto
5) Jacobs Ladder
6) YYZ
7) Where's My Thing?
8) Leave That Thing Alone!
9) Xanadu
Burn it and there! You have a Rush mix with very little singing. I listened to it today and I loved it. The first 4 songs sound great together... as if they were released all at the same time as one epic album. Jacobs Ladder provides a bridge to the 80's Rush that you either loved or hated. YYZ introduces some of the synth-based songs that they dabbled with during the 80's while Where's My Thing epitomizes that synth-sound with a nice groove. Leave That Thing Alone serves as a reminder that Rush eventually did ditch the synths for a more basic rock sound during the 90's. I put in Xanadu to end the mix since it is such a wonderful song (one of the best, actually)--but there is a lot of singing on it. Hopefully your road trip companion will be so into the Rush mix that he'll let it slide (if not, who cares--it's the last song)... and maybe he'll let you throw in Power Windows afterwards--but maybe that's pushing it.
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