Rush: A Musical Journey

Permanent Waves

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Track list:

1. The Spirit Of Radio
2. Freewill
3. Jacob's Ladder
4. Entre Nous
5. Different Strings
6. Natural Science

Rush returned to Canada to record their 7th album. Permanent Waves was recorded at Le Studio in Quebec and released in January, 1980.

The Spirit of Radio was edited down to 3 minutes for a single version which enjoyed some chart success, peaking at No 13 in the U.K. and around 50 in the Billboard 100. The song has been a concert favourite ever since.

Geddy Lee's keyboard work plays an important part in Permanent Waves, although he still leaves plenty of room for stunning performances from Lifeson.

It was in the same year that all three members of Rush guested on Canadian band Max Webster's album, Universal Juveniles, appearing on the track 'Battlescar'.

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At least Geddy Lee SANG on this album. I was a late-comer to Rush. All of the earlier albums I tried and could not connect with the music. The lyrics on the earlier albums, IMO, were not in the least matched well with the music they made. But starting with this album, their music began to change for the better... again, IMO.

Entre Nous and Different Strings... amazing that these songs were by the same guys that did By-Tor and all that earlier shit.
 
Signals

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Track list:

1. Subdivisions
2. Analog Kid
3. Chemistry
4. Digital Man
5. The Weapon
6. New World Man
7. Losing It
8. Countdown

Rush's 9th studio album was released in 1982.

If it still has a modern feel to it, consider this. The last track pays homage to the first Space Shuttle mission. We are talking ancient history here.

The album makes increasing use of keyboards, and also features a guest appearance on "Losing It" from Ben Mink and his electric violin.

Signals was the last album to consider the requirements of recording onto the vinyl LP. Indeed, New World Man was written to fit a particular time slot. If the track could be made short enough it would go onto the album, otherwise Signals would go out with 7 tracks. Subsequent albums would take advantage of the increased album length offered by the new CD format.

Signals is the last studio album produced by Terry Brown. Differences of opinion between Terry and the band, mainly centring on what he saw as the over dependence on keyboards made the split inevitable. Opinion is mixed as to whether Rush was better or worse without him, or just different.

I thought this was a great album. In fact, I think Rush's best years were the 80s, with some good stuff in the 90s, too. I liked the greater emphasis on the keyboards and synths.
 
Power Windows

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1. The Big Money
2. Grand Designs
3. Manhattan Project
4. Marathon
5. Territories
6. Middletown Dreams
7. Emotion Detector
8. Mystic Rhythms

The 11th studio album, and the first to be produced by Peter Collins. Released in 1985 on CD and vinyl, the album extended the band's instrumentation incorporating African drums for Peart and yet more keyboards. The recording also featured a 30 piece string section, perhaps inspired by Ben Mink's violin work on Losing It.

The album was recorded in England and Monserrat.

Fantastic album. Mystic Rhythms... wowowowowowow. Those drums knock my socks off!!! Probably my favorite Rush song.
 
Hold Your Fire

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Track list:

1. Force Ten
2. Time Stand Still
3. Open Sectets
4. Second Nature
5. Prime Mover
6. Lock And Key
7. Mission
8. Turn The Page
9. Tai Shan
10. High Water

The 12th studio album, released in 1987, took full advantage of the CD medium. The vinyl LP is limited to around 45 minutes. The 10 tracks of Hold Your Fire amount to over 50 minutes of music.

Recording took place in England, Monserrat and Canada. Time Stand Still appeared on a CD called "After The Hurricane", a fundraiser intended to help with rebuilding after a devastating hurricane hit Monserrat. It was supported by many artists who had recorded at Air Studios.

Additional vocals on Open Secrets and Time Stand Still were supplied by Aimee Mann who also appears in the promotional video for the latter track.

Production was by Peter Collins.

This is the biggest surprise... to me at least,... of all the Rush albums. It's very hard for me to believe that the screaming that fills the early Rush albums was done by the same guys that did Hold Your Fire. A tribute to the talent latent in this band.
 
Presto

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Track list:

1. Show Don't Tell
2. Chain Lightning
3. The Pass
4. Scars
5. War Paint
6. Presto
7. Superconductor
8. Anagram
9. Red Tide
10. Hand Over Fist
11. Available Light

Released in 1989, Presto was Rush's 13th studio album and the first on the Atlantic label. Their contract with Mercury had come to an end and the band decided not to renew.

Presto was produced by Rupert Hine and marks a departure from the heavy reliance on keyboards in favour of a return to the guitar/bass/percussion model of the band's early years. Keyboards were used to some extent but were relegated to a background rôle.

The 11 track album totalled around 52 minutes. Although 4 tracks were over 5 minutes, none were over 6.

To me, this album is Hold Your Fire, Part II. Again, is this the same 3 guys that did By-Tor/SnowDog and Working Man? Geez. Available Light is my favorite from this album, though all the songs are good. Great, great guitar on Available Light.
 
Roll The Bones

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Track list:

1. Dreamline
2. Bravado
3. Roll The Bones
4. Face Up
5. Where's My Thing?
6. The Big Wheel
7. Heresy
8. Ghost Of A Chance
9. Neurotica
10. You Bet Your Life

The 14th studio album, and the 2nd produced by Rupert Hine, Roll The Bones was released in 1991.

Following on what Presto had started, the album moved Rush further from keyboards, introduced an element of rap into the performance and featured the band's 3rd instrumental track, Where's My Thing?

Great concept album. Luck. Fate. Destiny. From Roll The Bones: "...and that's the way that Lady Luck Dances... Roll The Bones!"

RTB is a great song. I taught Human Anatomy & Physiology for 30 years at various colleges, retiring last June. When we would finish up learning about the bones of the human body, I would perform the rap in the bridge of Roll The Bones in front of the class. The students loved it. Thanks for all those memories, Rush!!
 
Test For Echo

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Track list:

1. Test For Echo
2. Driven
3. Half The World
4. The Colour Of Right
5. Time And Motion
6. Totem
7. Dog Years
8. Virtuality
9. Resist
10. Limbo
11. Carve Away The Stone

Test For Echo was the 16th studio album from Rush, released in 1996 and produced once again by Peter Collins. Pye Dubois cowrote the title track.

Neil Peart had been taking drum lessons from Freddie Gruber and employed techniques that he learned during these sessions on this album.

Never got into this album. I so much wanted to hear them perform Test For Echo live at the two concerts of theirs that I saw... but never got to hear it. Alex Lifeson's guitar in that song is fan-****ing-tastic. But I guess Rush themselves didn't like that song enough to play it. Oh well...
 
The only Journey "rush" I can remember happened to a female friend of mine in her teens at the time, and her favorite song was Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'- one of the worst songs ever played on radio.
I must begrudgingly admit that for a very brief time I was kind of digging the Journey vibe (including "L,T,S":confused:) but I got over it pretty quickly whilst their popularity soared among the mainstream "squares."
 
I don't feel it is in keeping with the spirit of Rush, or even necessary for that matter, to denigrate other musicians in order to laud the former.
Who's denigrating anyone here? There is an ongoing inside joke here and that's it. Somebody needs to 'lighten up' or light one up, one or the other.:rolleyes:

If anything, maybe it's time to put the joke to rest. I'll concede to that. Cheers.
 
Yes, DB, I saw the joke for what it was. I remember catching a bit of good natured flak when I "accidentally" photographed my copy of Journey's Greatest Hits and posted it.

For anyone who isn't aware, the "What are you listening to right now" thread is where the joke has been running on and off for a while.
 
If I may contribute to your discography of Rush's journey with a bit about the personal journey of Neil Peart.

In 1996, Neil released an instructional video called "A Work in Progress" which documents and instructs on the drumming of the "Test for Echo" release.
Neil talks about his state of mind prior to TFE in terms of his drumming. To paraphrase, he felt at the time that he had become "restless" and felt he needed to take another step. In the interim, working on the "Burning for Buddy" project, Neil comments on Steve Smith. Neil, having worked with Steve prior on a Jeff Berlin recording, was taken with Steve's advancement and musicality on the Buddy project. He asked Steve, "What's your secret?" Steve replied, "Freddie".

So this was the beginning seeds of Neil's 'reinventing himself' under the tutelage of renown drum instructor Freddie Gruber. Thanks in part to the inspiration of drummer Steve Smith of Journey fame.

If you care to indulge in a little Journey rush ;), I give you a drummer's drummer. Mr. Steve "Machine Gun" Smith.

 
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I must begrudgingly admit that for a very brief time I was kind of digging the Journey vibe (including "L,T,S":confused:) but I got over it pretty quickly whilst their popularity soared among the mainstream "squares."
I must wholeheartedly agree with this sentiment even though the worst thing to ever happen to Journey was a certain personnel addition totally unnecessary to the band. I'll not bash Journey. At least up to that point.
 
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