My Rush vinyl collection has required me to do some serious explaining to my wife as to why I would possibly need 2-4 (or sometimes more) pressings of every album! But they are also some of my most spun records, particularly 2112, Hemispheres, Permanent Waves, Moving Pictures, All the World's a Stage and Exit Stage Left.
I agree with a lot of what has been said already, and will add just a few thoughts (although I have many!). All the World's a Stage is a better live album than Exit Stage Left from a raw energy and performance standard, in my opinion. They were just on fire and pounding it out that night and we're lucky to be able to hear it (for example, that version of By Tor is just killer). But the sonics are not great on ATWAS, and it's a little bright and thin to my ears. The sonics are actually not great on most of my pressings of Exit Stage Left, but I have a Japanese pressing that's just unbelievable. I love that album too. More polished and better sonics, and still great tunes. Xanadu, La Villa and Passage to Bangkok are great on that record.
For the most part, the Gilbert Kong vinyl pressings sound the best to my ears, although the new releases of Hemispheres, 2112 and Caress of Steel are fantastic. I wasn't as happy with the new Fly by Night or Permanent Waves. My old Anthem pressing of Permanent Waves and my Mofi version both sound better to me, and my Gilbert Kong Fly By Night is better than the new one too.
Glad to see other Rush fans in the forums!
