R41 survey results - Question 1: Which Rush song do you most want to hear?
A little while back, I asked people on the Neil Peart News Facebook page some questions about the setlist for the R41 tour. This post includes the results of the first question: Which Rush song do you most want to hear on the R41 tour?
Note: For those who care about statistics, I'll be the first to say that this survey isn't statistically relevant. This was just a way for me to find out what other fans are thinking.
Results
1. "Jacob's Ladder" was the runaway winner with 17 votes (10%), which isn't really a big surprise. Fans have been expecting to see this song show up on the past few tours -- especially since we know it was included on the Time Machine tour setlist at one point. Unless the band has a problem with this song, I fully expect it to show up on the next tour.
2. Tie between "Lakeside Park," "Losing It," and "Xanadu" - 8 votes (5%) each:
"Lakeside Park" - This was somewhat surprising, given Rush's extensive back catalog, but I think there are a few reasons. First, fans of Caress of Steel are a passionate bunch -- and this happened to be the song on that album that got the most votes. But I also think "Lakeside Park" represents a unique, hard rock/ballad approach. Plus, it hasn't been played live since "A Farewell to Kings" tour.
"Losing It" - It's interesting that Rush didn't try to play this on the the Clockwork Angels tour, since they had the string section available. "Losing It" was written as a studio piece, featuring Ben Mink on electric violin (who would go on to be a producer for, among others, Geddy Lee's solo album My Favorite Headache). In many ways, it's a modern counterpart to "Lakeside Park" with its rock/ballad approach. Plus, it includes a solo section in 11/8 time that approaches the complexity and energy of "Freewill." It's hard to say whether Rush will ever transition this to a live song.
"Xanadu" - After all these years of Rush playing "Xanadu" on multiple tours, it's still one that the fans want to hear. The last time Rush played this was on the 30th Anniversary Tour in 2004, so it would be nice to hear it again.
3. "Cygnus X-1 Book 1" and "Cygnus X-1 Book 2" - 7 votes (4%). Even though this is technically two songs, this pair got enough votes to put it into third place. During the Hemispheres tour, Rush played these two songs back-to-back. Since that time, they've played these as individual songs or abbreviated versions. The last time Rush played "Hemispheres Prelude" was on the R30 tour during the "R30 Overture," although it didn't include vocals. Rush did play "Prelude" on the Counterparts tour with vocals, but it was clearly outside of Geddy Lee's range (which makes sense, since it was outside of his range when they recorded Hemispheres). Because of this reason alone, we probably shouldn't ever expect to see Hemispheres with vocals on R41, unless the band tunes down like they did with "2112" during the Test for Echo tour.
4. Tie between "Countdown" and "The Fountain of Lamneth" - 6 votes (3.7%)
"Countdown": This one was a surprise to me, but maybe it shouldn't have been. "Countdown" shares many similarities with Rush's more cinematic songs, including "Cygnus X-1: Book 1," "The Camera Eye," and "Jacob's Ladder." Plus, after seeing the treatment "Dreamline" received on the Clockwork tour, imagine the video and lighting design that would accompany this song today.
"The Fountain of Lamneth": Again, the Caress of Steel fans have been asking for this one for years. Personally, I can't ever see Rush playing this song in its entirety again, although I felt that way about "2112" during the Test for Echo tour, too. In other words, anything can happen.
5. Tie between "Cygnus X-1: Book 1: The Voyage," "Cygnus X-1 Book 2: Hemispheres" "Kid Gloves" "La Villa Strangiato" - 4 votes (2.5 %)
"Cygnus X-1: Book 1: The Voyage" and "Cygnus X-1 Book 2: Hemispheres." Even though some people wanted to hear "Cygnus X-1" and "Hemispheres" back-to-back, some people voted for these as individual songs as well. Either way, fans clearly want to hear Rush play some of their more progressive numbers.
"Kid Gloves" - One of my favorites, and also one that's long overdue to be played live. Now that Rush brought out much of Power Windows catalog on the Clockwork Angels tour, I think they might be more willing to try out "Kid Gloves" again. The last time they played it was on the Grace Under Pressure tour.
"La Villa Strangiato" - This is one of those Rush songs that's been played on many tours since Hemispheres, and, like "Xanadu," one that fans can't get enough of.
6. Tie between "Afterimage" " "Afterimage" - As many people pointed out in the Facebook comments, this song will most likely never be played live again due to its emotional significance. " "The " 7. The songs that received 2 votes each (1.2%) include: "Available Light" " Of all these, I'd personally like to see "Available Light," "Beneath, Between, and Behind," "Chain Lightning," or "Fly By Night." And even though members of Rush has stated how much they dislike "Tai Shan," it's probably my wife's favorite Rush song. Here's another view showing how many song votes each album received. Here are all the songs (or songs) that received only 1 vote each. Some of these have never been played live before. Some of these aren't even Rush songs! 2112Cut to the Chase" "The Necromancer" and " The Camera Eye" - 3 votes (2.4%)
Cut to the Chase" - Like "Kid Gloves," I think this song could be another great B-side choice for Rush -- and it's never been played live before. Necromancer" - Another rarity from Caress of Steel. This might have a better chance than the longer "The Fountain of Lamneth," but I'd still be very surprised if either showed up. The Camera Eye" - Ever after this song being played during both legs of The Time Machine tour, some fans still want to hear it. Beneath, Between, and Behind," " By-Tor and the Snow Dog," " Chain Lightning," " Cold Fire," " Everyday Glory", " Fly By Night," " Garden road," " I Think I'm Going Bald," " Natural Science," " Tai Shan," " The Pass," and " Tom Sawyer." Count of votes by album
Long tail
Animate Best I Can Between the Wheels Chemistry Cinderella Man Closer to the Heart Different Strings Distant Early Warning Double Agent Entre Nous Fancy Dancer Fear suite (Witch Hunt, The Weapon, The Enemy Within, Freeze) Freeze Here Again High Water Making Memories Manhattan Project Marathon Middletown Dreams Mystic Rhythms Nocturne Out of the Cradle Open Secrets A Passage to Bangkok Peaceable Kingdom Red Barchetta Red Tide Show Don't Tell Something for Nothing Take Off (To the Great White North) The Body Electric The Trees The Weapon Time Stand Still Vital Signs War Paint Where's My Thing? (Part IV, "Gangster of Boats" Trilogy) Witch Hunt YYZ The Color of Right Temples of Syrinx