WOW Marty! I'm not sure if I should be surprised that you scored this album so high. Being I know how big of a Rush fan you are

, I can't help but feel this review is a bit bias. Is there any Rush album that you don't like?

I really thought you'd score it lower based on your first impression. I guess it took some more spins for you until you could give it a fairer review.
I can't help but feel this one is a little bit of a let down. Sure, I like that they have more acoustics on this album as well as a few instrumentals. For me, that is a welcomed change. However, overall, it sounds more like a Geddy Lee solo album (which, by the way, I like very much). The way this album was hyped up and now listening to it are at opposite ends of the spectrum for me. The album is somewhat listenable but doesn't seem very inspired musically. A few tracks instantly grab you but there is an inconsistency . I wasn't expecting Moving Pictures or 2112, but was hoping for something a bit heavier and more rocking. I'm still going to listen to it some more to see if my mind will change

.
I wish Rush would get back to basics, sort of like what they did on Feedback. I love the production and sound on that album. I wish Geddy would sing with no vocal harmonies, just straight out like he did on the first eight or nine albums. I wish Alex would play more power chords and riffs like on Permanent Waves or Fly By Night. I wish Neil Peart would get a little more technical drum wise.
It's rare for a band that has been in the business as long as Rush to go backwards after progressing away from where they first started. But I do believe that after a while, a band misses that feeling they had when they first started. I think Rush can still do it, just a question of when.