3 Minutes, 49 Seconds

"If you only own one album by  Rush  it's gotta be ____________________." Welcome to  Rock Solid , where we fill in the blank. Our goal is to pseudo-scientifically determine the best, the beloved, the most classic album in an artist's catalog. Here's how it works: I've consulted two main sources. The  AllMusic  Guide  provides the professional  critical point-of-view and  Amazon.com  offers the fan perspective ( because most people who choose to review albums on  Amazon  are adoring fans of the artist in question) . The album with the highest combined  rating from both source s is the one I'll consider the best. An artist's entire body of work is eligible, with  two exceptions:  No compilations  ( i.e. greatest hits) or live albums .   In each case, I'll also share my personal favorite album by the artist in question, as if you care. * * * The wonderful and terrible thing about this Rock Solid...

The one constant in every established artist's oeuvre is  the bad album , the one that's reviled by both fans and critics. Those unlovable albums are the ones this feature,  Rock Bottom , is concerned with.   Here's how it works: I've consulted two main sources, the  All Music  Guide  (for the critical  point-of-view) and  Amazon.com  (for the fan perspective). The album with the lowest com bined  rating from both source s is the one I'll consider the worst. I m ay not  alw ays   a gree  with the choice, and my reviews will reflect  that. I'll also offer a considered  altern ative .   Finally, there are some limits. The following types of albums don't count: 1) b-sides,  remix, or hits compilations, 2) live albums, and 3)  albums recorded when the band was missing a vital member. * * * This is why we have rules. By the numbers, Rush's 1974 self-titled debut is their lowest-rated album by bot...