THE SPIRIT OF RADIO (GREATEST HITS 1974-1987)

Ugh...another one? Rush have, up to this point, released FOUR compilation CD's, not to mention the Mercury-Universal release "GOLD". That makes FIVE comps. They're all of varying quality, both in recording, production and presentation. "Chronicles" is, by far, the strongest of the lot. That leaves this one out in the cold.

Why?

Well, the track listing plays out much the same as anything on the "Retrospective" series, "Gold" or "Chronicles". In fact, without exception, you might as well be listening to a single disc version of "Chronicles". There's no song HERE that isn't represented THERE. No studio take of "Time Stand Still", no extended remix of "Mystic Rhythms", etc. So, with a time frame of 4 years between the unfuckwithable "Vapor Trails" and whenever that new one comes out, I'm starting to wonder if my favorite band (for a decade and counting) is starting to run out of gas.

Three stars.