Okay, as a follow up, a new Rush listener should probably buy these albums in this order:

Moving Pictures
Permanent Waves
Power Windows

If you liked the "YYZ" instrumental on Moving Pictures, then your next purchase should be:
Hemispheres
for the sole purpose of having "La Villa Strangiato". The remainder of the album is very rewarding, but takes several listens to get into.

Following that, then get:
2112
Counterparts
Test For Echo
To book-end your collection. Don't know where the new album falls into this scheme yet.

The remainder of the catalog you can fill in later. You may completely avoid the first three albums (Rush, Fly By night, Caress of Steel) as they were simply a Zeppelin clone in those days. They didn't really find their own voice until 2112 (their fourth album). Only the hardest-core fan, looking to complete his collection, needs these first three albums. Note that there is a dual-disc release called "Archives" which is just a re-issue of those first three albums and can also be avoided. Others will contend this point with me, but those people are completely wrong and have no musical taste.

Live concert albums (All the World's a Stage, Exit Stage Left, A Show of Hands, Different Stages) are a lot of fun, but don't bother getting them until after you've either got all the studio albums you want, or you've seen them live and wish to re-live the experience.