Retrospectives 1974-1980 (1997)
Retrospectives 1981-1987 (1997)
1974-1980
1.The Spirit of Radio
2.The Trees
3.Something for Nothing
4.Free Will
5.Xanadu
6.Bastille Day
7.By-Tor and the Snow Dog
8.Anthem
9.Closer to the Heart
10.2112: Overture
11.2112: The Temples of Syrinx
12.La Villa Strangiato
13.Fly By Night
14.Finding My Way
1981-1987
1.The Big Money
2.Red Barchetta
3.Subdivisions
4.Time Stand Still
5.Mystic Rhythms
6.The Analog Kid
7.Distant Early Warning
8.Mission
9.Limelight
10.Red Sector A
11.New World Man
12.Tom Sawyer
12.Force Ten
Several years after Rush made their move to Atlantic Records, their old label decided it was time to cash in once more. The result? Another compilation. Actually, two. Why they opted to release Retrospective I and Retrospective II as separate CDs rather than one complete package remains anyone’s guess. Perhaps it was driven by sales strategies. Perhaps it was simply business. But the effect was clear: the price doubled.
Oddly enough, the dividing line between the two sets happens to fall right at the band’s commercial and creative zenith — roughly 1980 to 1981. Which meant that if your preference leaned toward the so-called “golden era,” well, tough luck. You’d now need both discs to cover the bases. It felt like another one of those minor record label manipulations that hardcore fans have grown all too familiar with. Still, to give credit where it’s due, the track selections — while not wildly different from Chronicles — were slightly more refined, and the sequencing was much improved.
Instead of going the chronological route, these sets were arranged for flow, creating the sense of a well-paced live show rather than a box-ticking archive piece. It worked — to a degree. No, there was no newly unearthed material, and no real surprises to speak of. But as far as compilations go, these were cleaner, tighter listens than Chronicles, and certainly better sounding due to the improved remastering.
Of course, there's always the lingering question: who are these releases for? The casual fan? Possibly. The completist? Maybe, if they enjoy repurchasing songs they already own. In the end, it all felt like a stopgap — a well-dressed cash grab designed more for the spreadsheet than the stereo. And with Atlantic watching from the sidelines, it’s not hard to imagine a future where they try the same trick themselves (Hint:They did.)
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