The Spirit of Radio: Greatest Hits 1974-1987 (2004)
1. Working Man
2. Fly By Night
3. 2112 Overture/The Temples of Syrinx
4. Closer to the Heart
5. The Trees
6. The Spirit of Radio
7. Freewill
8. Limelight
9. Tom Sawyer
10.Red Barchetta
11.New World Man
12.Subdivisions
13.Distant Early Warning
14.The Big Money
15.Force Ten
16.Time Stand Still
The Spirit of Radio (subtitled Greatest Hits 1974–1987) is yet another in a long line of compilations cobbled together from Rush’s Mercury era—a period stretching from the band’s initial rise to prominence through the apex of their arena-filling 1980s heyday. And make no mistake: this one is as redundant as they come.
On the surface, there is little to fault in the selection itself. These are, after all, the songs that defined a generation of progressive-leaning rock enthusiasts. But therein lies the rub. This material had already been reissued, recompiled, and repackaged to death—across far more comprehensive and better-balanced collections. In fact, one would be hard-pressed to find a diehard Rush aficionado who didn’t already own these tracks several times over, in forms both sprawling and meticulous. What we have here is the musical equivalent of republishing the highlights of Shakespeare for those who only want Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet—and then charging full price.
The only discernible rationale for the release seems to be its single-disc brevity. Aimed, perhaps, at the reluctant casual buyer or the odd radio listener turned impulse shopper, this edition pares things down so tightly that many essential pieces are left by the wayside. Key tracks from Hemispheres or Permanent Waves are conspicuously absent, and there’s little in the way of thoughtful sequencing to justify the omissions.
Of course, Rush themselves appear to have had little to no hand in the curation, which only compounds the suspicion that this was a label-driven exercise in market convenience. The songs are strong, yes. That was never in question. But there is nothing remotely revelatory or necessary about The Spirit of Radio. In the end, it is an attractive but ultimately superfluous entry in a catalog already well served by superior anthologies. A coffee-table coaster for completists, and little more.
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