Rush Retrospective: Album 13- Presto

 

Album:  Presto

Year Released:   1989

Lineup:  

• Geddy Lee – bass guitar, vocals, synthesizers
• Alex Lifeson – electric and acoustic guitars
• Neil Peart – drums, electronic percussion

Overall Thoughts:

In between Hold Your Fire and Presto, Rush changed record companies (from Mercury to Atlantic Records), changed their prodcuer (from Peter Collins to Rupert Hine) and changed their sound.  The previous four albums put a large emphasis on the synthesisers; starting with Presto, the synthesisers were reduced and the guitar work took a stronger role in the music.

The previous albums had expanded their musical repetoire, adding ska, reggae, and asian influences to their sound.  Presto is more "back to basics" in their sound.  The songs are less thematic and more introspective and personal.

Neil Peart's lyrics continue to shine.  From "Show Don't Tell":

You can twist perceptions
Reality won't budge
You can raise objections
I will be the judge (and the jury)

And from "The Pass":

All of us get lost in the darkness
Dreamers learn to steer by the stars
All of us do time in the gutter
Dreamers turn to look at the cars
Turn around and turn around and turn around
Turn around and walk the razor's edge
Don't turn your back and slam the door on me

In addition to the great lyrics, drums, and outstanding guitar work, the singing really works.  I think this is Rush's best album in terms of Geddy's voice

On a peronal note:  This is my favorite album, partly because it's when I first started listening to Rush (at age 17; I was a late bloomer), and partly because "The Pass" is my single favorite song by the group.  

Ranking of Rush Albums (adding as more albums are reviewed):

1. Presto
2. Moving Pictures
3. 2112
4. Permanent Waves
5. Fly By Night
6. Rush
7. A Farewell to Kings
8. Hemispheres
9. Hold Your Fire
10. Power Windows
11. Signals
12. Caress of Steel
13. Grace Under Pressure

Top 10 Rush Songs (adding as more albums are reviewed):

1. "The Pass", Presto
2. "Tom Sawyer", Moving Pictures
3. "Working Man", Rush
4. "Closer to the Heart", A Farewell to Kings
5. "La Villa Strangiato", Hemispheres
6. "Freewill", Permanent Waves
7. "2112", 2112
8. "Fly By Night", Fly By Night
9. "Show Don't Tell", Presto
10. "YYZ", Moving Pictures

NBA Playoff Predictions, 2023-2024

After boldly (and often incorrectly) making my NBA Predictions at the start of the season, I thought I would update this now that the playoffs are set up:

Eastern Conference:

Play-ins:

• Philadelphia 76ers defeat the Miami Heat
• Chicago Bulls defeat Atlanta Hawks
• Miami Heat defeat the Chicago Bulls

First Round:

• Boston Celtics defeat Miami Heat, 4 games to 2
• Phialdelphia 76ers defeat the New York Knicks, 4 games to 3
• Milwaukee Bucks defeat the Indianapolis Pacers, 4 games to 2
• Cleveland Cavaliers defeat the Orlando Magic, 4 games to 3

Second Round:

• Boston Celtics defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers, 4 games to 1
• Milwaukee Bucks defeat the Philadelphia 76ers, 4 games to 2

Conference Finals:

• Boston Celtics defeat the Milwaukee Bucks, 4 games to 2

Eastern Notes:

• The Celtics have been dominant, and I expect that to continue, as long as they remain healthy
• Outside of the Celtics, it's a weird division.  The most dangerous teams might be the 7 and 8 seeds, as the 76ers are finally healthy and the Heat always get into gear in the Playoffs
• I love my Cleveland Cavaliers- and I hope they grow as a team and defeat Orlando.  I can't see them or anyone else beating Boston in the Eastern Conference

Western Conference:

Play-ins:

• Los Angeles Lakers defeat New Orleans Pelicans
• Golden State Warriors defeat the Sacramento Kings
• Golden State Warriors defeat the New Orleans Pelicans

First Round:

• Oklahoma City Thunder defeat Golden State Warriors, 4 games to 1
• Denver Nuggests defeat the Los Angeles Lakers, 4 games to 1
• Minnesota Timberwolves defeat the Phoenix Suns, 4 games to 3
• Dallas Mavericks defeat the Los Angeles Clippers, 4 games to 3

Second Round:

• Oklahoma  City Thunder defeat the Dallas Mavericks, 4 games to 2
• Denver Nuggets defeat the Minnesota Timberwolves, 4 games to 2

Conference Finals:

• Denver Nuggets defeat the Oklahoma City Thunder, 4 games to 1

Western Notes:

• There's no way the Lakers and Warriors don't win the Play-In Games, right?
• The best teams are real young and inexperienced (OKC, Minnesota).  The veteran teams have not played well (Lakers, Warriors, Suns).  But I do think the young teams have too much firepower...
• Until they run into Denver, who is a nightmare for anyone.

NBA FINALS:

At the start of the season, I went with Boston.  They've been the best team with the best record.  I love Denver, but I think they have a tougher road to make it to the finals.  Everything is set up for Boston to win, and I think they pull it off, 4 games to 2

Project 190: Update 16

Weight (2024-04-14):  216.6 lbs

Change since last week:+1.4 lbs

Change since January 1st:  -6.4 lbs

Overdid it yesterday- was down in the morning.  I'm noticing a bad tendency to feast or famine on the weekend.  

Rush Retrospective: Album 12- Hold Your Fire

 

Album:  Hold Your Fire

Year Released:   1987

Lineup:  

• Geddy Lee – bass guitar, synthesizer, vocals
• Alex Lifeson – electric and acoustic guitar
• Neil Peart – drums, percussion

Overall Thoughts:

The twelfth album, Hold Your Fire, Rush continues expanding their musical styles.  It's the first album that is designed for CDs rather than records (at over 50 minutes, it was too long for a LP), and the first album with a guest singer (Aimee Mann on "Time Stands Still" and also performed backing vocals on other songs).  

The lyrics continue to be outstanding, growing more introspective over the years.  A couple of examples- first, from "Open Secrets":

I find no absolution
In my rational point of view
Maybe some things are instinctive
But there's one thing you would do
You could try to understand me
I could try to understand you
You could try to understand me
I could try to understand you

Or from "Time Stands Still":

I let my skin get too thin

I'd like to pause,

No matter what I pretend

Like some pilgrim

Who learns to transcend

Learns to live

As if each step was the end

Most of the songs are excellent ("Tai Shan" is an exception- an attempt to add in Asian influence to their music.  It doesn't work).  

After every four albums, Rush released a live album and then would go in a different directiona musically.  Hold Your Fire is the last album of this direction; while there were stumbles along the path, it took them in a different direction (less rock and more pop with more synthesisiers; less progressive with shorter, more introspective songs).  By Hold Your Fire, they had completed this leg of their musical journey.

Ranking of Rush Albums (adding as more albums are reviewed):

1. Moving Pictures
2. 2112
3. Permanent Waves
4. Fly By Night
5. Rush
6. A Farewell to Kings
7. Hemispheres
8. Hold Your Fire
9. Power Windows
10. Signals
11. Caress of Steel
12. Grace Under Pressure

Top 10 Rush Songs (adding as more albums are reviewed):

1. "Tom Sawyer", Moving Pictures
2. "Working Man", Rush
3. "Closer to the Heart", A Farewell to Kings
4. "La Villa Strangiato", Hemispheres
5. "Freewill", Permanent Waves
6. "2112", 2112
7. "Fly By Night", Fly By Night
8. "YYZ", Moving Pictures
9. "Red Barchettta", Moving Pictures
10. "Making Memories", Fly By Night

Project 190: Update 15

 Weight (2024-04-07):  215.2 lbs

Change since last week:+0.4 lbs

Change since January 1st:  -7.8 lbs

Lesson learned for this week:  I may now be lactose-intolerant, but I'm definitely lactose-sensitive.  Trying to remove as much cheese, ice cream, milk, and butter as I can...

Rush Retrospective: Album 11- Power Windows

 

Album:  Power Windows

Year Released:   1985

Lineup:  

• Geddy Lee – vocals, bass guitar, bass pedals, synthesizers, production, arrangements
• Alex Lifeson – electric and acoustic guitars, production, arrangements
• Neil Peart – drums, percussion, electric percussion, production, arrangements

Overall Thoughts:

The eleventh album, Power Windows, continues the journey they started with Signals.  They brought in a new co-producer, Peter Collins, for the album.  The songs remain shorter, and are heavily influenced by the early 1980's musical styles.  But with Power Windows, Rush does a better job merging both their newer synthesiser based sounds with the older guitar and drum styles.

The theme of the album is power, in various forms.  With songs such as "Big Money" (financial), "Manhattan Project" (weapons), "Territories" (Nationalism), Rush explores deep ideas in their songs.  Neil Peart continues to be outstanding at writing thoughtful lyrics within the framework of a song.  

There are no bad songs here- it's their strongest album since "Moving Pictures".  It has very good songs ("Mystic Rhythms" is excellent).  Of this era of Rush, it's my favorite album.

Ranking of Rush Albums (adding as more albums are reviewed):

1. Moving Pictures
2. 2112
3. Permanent Waves
4. Fly By Night
5. Rush
6. A Farewell to Kings
7. Hemispheres
8. Power Windows
9. Signals
10. Caress of Steel
11. Grace Under Pressure

Top 10 Rush Songs (adding as more albums are reviewed):

1. "Tom Sawyer", Moving Pictures
2. "Working Man", Rush
3. "Closer to the Heart", A Farewell to Kings
4. "La Villa Strangiato", Hemispheres
5. "Freewill", Permanent Waves
6. "2112", 2112
7. "Fly By Night", Fly By Night
8. "YYZ", Moving Pictures
9. "Red Barchettta", Moving Pictures
10. "Making Memories", Fly By Night

Project 190: Update 14

Weight (2024-03-31):  214.8 lbs

Change since last week:-1.4 lbs

Change since January 1st:  -8.2 lbs

Super low (hardly ate anything after noon yesterday).  But it's nice to break the 215 barrier finally.

Rush Retrospective: Album 10- Grace Under Pressure

 

Album:  Grace Under Pressure

Year Released:   1984

Lineup:  

• Geddy Lee – bass guitar, synthesizers, vocals, production
• Alex Lifeson – guitars, synthesizers, production
• Neil Peart – drums, percussion, electronic percussion, production

Overall Thoughts:

With their tenth album, Rush left (on good terms) with their longtime producer Terry Brown, as the band wanted to explore different directions musically.  The direction that started with Signals continues- the songs were shorter (every song is between 4-6 minutes), keyboards continued to take a prominent role (though not as much as Signals), and they added more world music (ska and reggae) to their overall sound.  This album also features no ballards or slow songs; even "Afterimage", a dedication to a friend who had passed in a car accident, is fast-paced.

Dystopic future is a major theme of the album- "Distant Early Warning", "Red Sector A" and "The Enemy Within" all evoke fears of a nuclear holocaust (a common theme of the early 1980's, at the height of the Cold War).  My favorite song on the album is "Between the Wheels", a song about pressure, where the synth are a dramatic setup to contrast with Lifeson's great guitar work.  

It's not an awful album- but it sounds dated (heavy synths and fears of nuclear war were major themes of the early 1980's).  And the band was still adjusting to both the change in producers and adding new styles and sounds to their repetoire.  

Ranking of Rush Albums (adding as more albums are reviewed):

1. Moving Pictures
2. 2112
3. Permanent Waves
4. Fly By Night
5. Rush
6. A Farewell to Kings
7. Hemispheres
8. Signals
9. Caress of Steel
10. Grace Under Pressure

Top 10 Rush Songs (adding as more albums are reviewed):

1. "Tom Sawyer", Moving Pictures
2. "Working Man", Rush
3. "Closer to the Heart", A Farewell to Kings
4. "La Villa Strangiato", Hemispheres
5. "Freewill", Permanent Waves
6. "2112", 2112
7. "Fly By Night", Fly By Night
8. "YYZ", Moving Pictures
9. "Red Barchettta", Moving Pictures
10. "Making Memories", Fly By Night

Project 190: Update 13

 Weight (2024-03-24):  216.6 lbs

Change since last week:0 lbs

Change since January 1st:  -6.4 lbs

I'm good with this.  I maintained the loss of last week.  Next immediate goal is getting under 215...

Rush Retrospective: Album 09- Signals

 

Album:  Signals

Year Released:   1982

Lineup:  

• Geddy Lee – bass guitars, synthesizers, vocals, arrangements, production
• Alex Lifeson – electric and acoustic guitars, Moog Taurus pedals, production
• Neil Peart – drums, percussion, arrangements, spoken vocal on “Subdivisions”, production

Overall Thoughts:

The band Rush could have their career broken down in five movements, changing every four albums (punctuated by a live album at the end of every moment).  The band was always tinkering with their sound with every album, but every movement changed in different directions.  Between Moving Pictures and Signals, the next movement again.

With Signals, the songs became more compact (the ten minute epic prog songs disappeared), and synthesizers took a much more prominent role.  The progressive and hard rock elements were diminished, and more wordly music (reggae) and pop elements stepped forward.  Signals was also the last album with Terry Brown, who had prodcued their albums since 1974.  The band's sound was changing.

The changes aren't smooth.  The keyboards are dominant throughout the album, and musically guitars and drums are thier strongest sounds.   Some of the songs fall flat (Geddy constantly shouting "ELECTRICITY!" throughout "Chemistry" might be the biggest misstep Rush performed on any of their albums).  Many of the songs aren't as memorable as their previous albums."Singals" sounds dated- it's clearly a product of the early 1980s- in a way that most of their albums avoid.

There are good spots.  "Subdivisions" is their strongest song lyrically, relatable to anyone who felt like an outcast during their high school years (which is to say, everyone). "The Weapon" is a good companion to "Witch Hunt" (part of the "Fear" trilogy of songs).  The strongest song might be "Losing It", which features Ben Mink playing an electric violin and is a powerful song about growing old.  

"Signals" is not a bad album, and is a fascinating change from their previous work.  But musically, it is not as strong as their previous work.  

Ranking of Rush Albums (adding as more albums are reviewed):

1. Moving Pictures
2. 2112
3. Permanent Waves
4. Fly By Night
5. Rush
6. A Farewell to Kings
7. Hemispheres
8. Signals
9. Caress of Steel

Top 10 Rush Songs (adding as more albums are reviewed):

1. "Tom Sawyer", Moving Pictures
2. "Working Man", Rush
3. "Closer to the Heart", A Farewell to Kings
4. "La Villa Strangiato", Hemispheres
5. "Freewill", Permanent Waves
6. "2112", 2112
7. "Fly By Night", Fly By Night
8. "YYZ", Moving Pictures
9. "Red Barchettta", Moving Pictures
10. "Making Memories", Fly By Night

Project 190: Update 12

Weight (2024-03-17):  216.6 lbs

Change since last week: -1.8 lbs

Change since January 1st:  -6.4 lbs

Artficially low- yesterday I didn't eat anything after lunch.  On the other hand, progress is progress- and I'm glad to finally get under the 218 mark.

Rush Retrospective: Album 08- Moving Pictures

 

Album:  Moving Pictures

Year Released:   1981

Lineup:  

• Geddy Lee – bass guitars, keyboards, bass pedals, vocals
• Alex Lifeson – 6- and 12-string electric and acoustic guitars, Moog Taurus pedals
• Neil Peart – drums, timbales, gong, orchestra bells, glockenspiel, wind chimes, bell tree, crotales, cowbell, plywood

Overall Thoughts:

The previous albums were a mixture of shorter songs for the radio and longer epic songs.  Moving Pictures is the same way- but elevated; the overall quality of the songs, musically and lyrically, reached a higher plateau with their eighth album

The album kicks off with "Tom Sawyer", one of their best known songs.  It bursts into your head from the first note and stays with you.  It is one of those songs, like Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody", that fans can remember everything even though musically it is an incredible complicated song with different movements.  

Following is "Red Barchetta", an ode to driving and the freedom of driving.  "YYZ" is a frentic and gorgeous instrumental.  "Limelight" is a great example of Rush's ability to make enjoyable rock songs out of deeper themes (in this case, out of the concerns of being famous and constantly in the spotlight).  All of the songs are excellent and among the band's biggest hits.

"The Camera Eye" is the last song Rush wrote that is over ten minutes in length as the group.  "Witch Hunt" is a haunting song that evokes a mob, while "Vital Signs" adds some reggae to the band's musc repetoire (this will grow in other songs).

Ever since 2112, the band had been changing- adding more instruments, mixing epic songs with shorter, more radio friendly songs.  With Moving Pictures, the band reached their pinnacle of this era.  There is a reason this is often cited as the best studio album by fans.

Ranking of Rush Albums (adding as more albums are reviewed):

1. Moving Pictures
2. 2112
3. Permanent Waves
4. Fly By Night
5. Rush
6. A Farewell to Kings
7. Hemispheres
8. Caress of Steel

Top 10 Rush Songs (adding as more albums are reviewed):

1. "Tom Sawyer", Moving Pictures
2. "Working Man", Rush
3. "Closer to the Heart", A Farewell to Kings
4. "La Villa Strangiato", Hemispheres
5. "Freewill", Permanent Waves
6. "2112", 2112
7. "Fly By Night", Fly By Night
8. "YYZ", Moving Pictures
9. "Red Barchettta", Moving Pictures
10. "Making Memories", Fly By Night

Project 190: Update 11

 

Weight (2024-03-10)  218.4 lbs

Change since last week: -1.0 lbs

Change since January 1st:  -4.6 lbs

A marathon, not a sprint

Rush Retrospective: Album 07- Permanent Waves

 

Album:  Permanent Waves

Year Released:   1980

Lineup:  

• Geddy Lee – lead vocals, bass guitar, Oberheim polyphonic synthesizer, Minimoog synthesizer, Taurus pedal synthesizer, Oberheim OB-1 synthesizer
• Alex Lifeson – electric and acoustic six- and twelve-string guitars, Taurus pedals
• Neil Peart – drums, timpani, timbales, orchestra bells, tubular bells, wind chimes, bell tree, triangle, crotales, cover concept

Overall Thoughts:

After the Tour of Hemispheres, the band took a break before working on their next album.  The previous two albums- Hemispheres and A Farewell to Kings- both had mixes of some great songs ("Closer to the Heart", "La Villa Strangiato") with long songs that often meandered, making both albums uneven.  With Permanent Waves, the hits are still there ("The Spirit of Radio", "Freewill")- but the other songs that didn't get as much airplay are much stronger, making a better overall album.  

The longer songs and prog themes are still there, but they are more streamlined and less excessive.  "Jacob's Ladder" starts off with a military march, changes into a heavy metal song, and finishes as a new age song, representing the sun breaking through the clouds.  "Different Strings" starts out as an acoustic ballard and ends with beautiful blues guitar work.  "Natural Science" jumps through a half dozen music styles and tempos at a rapid pace- the song is never boring.

Ranking of Rush Albums (adding as more albums are reviewed):

1. 2112
2. Permanent Waves
3. Fly By Night
4. Rush
5. A Farewell to Kings
6. Hemispheres
7. Caress of Steel

Top 10 Rush Songs (adding as more albums are reviewed):

1. "Working Man", Rush
2. "Closer to the Heart", A Farewell to Kings
3. "La Villa Strangiato", Hemispheres
4. "Freewill", Permanent Waves
5. "2112", 2112
6. "Fly By Night", Fly By Night
7. "Making Memories", Fly By Night
8. "The Trees", Hemispheres
9. "A Passage to Bangkok", 2112
10. "A Farewell to Kings", A Farewell to Kings

Project 190: Update 10

 

Weight (2024-03-03)  219.4 lbs

Change since last week: -1.2 lbs

Change since January 1st:  -3.6 lbs

Rush Retrospective: Album 06- Hemispheres

 

Album:  Hemispheres

Year Released:   1978

Lineup:  

• Geddy Lee – bass guitar, Minimoog synthesizer, Oberheim polyphonic synthesizer, Moog Taurus bass pedals, vocals
• Alex Lifeson – 6- and 12-string electric and acoustic guitars, classical guitar, Roland guitar synthesizer, Moog Taurus pedals
• Neil Peart – drums, orchestra bells, bell tree, tympani, gong, cowbells, temple blocks, wind chimes, crotales

Overall Thoughts:

Rush's sixth studio album has only four songs on the album.  Two are epic in length, two are epic in the band's history, but only one song overlaps both.

Hemispheres starts out with the second half of the Cyngus X-1 series of songs, which started on the previous album.  Part two is over eighteen minutes, and has an epic storyline about the astronaut from Book 1 becoming the God of Balance.  The song lacks the hooks- either musically or lyrically- of Rush's better songs.  The song is not memorable the way that 2112 is- and for a series that takes up nearly a half hour in length, the payoff is not worth the commitment.

It's followed up by "Circumstances", a short song that feels like the backdrop to an epic moment in the song that never comes.  It's short (under 4 minutes) but forgettable.

Out of four songs, the album's first two are missing something.  But in the second half, the band delivers.

"The Trees" is a powerful allegory about how misunderstanding and envy can destroy.  The music is catchy and the lyrics are memorable.  

The album finishes with "La Villa Strantiago"- a nine minute epic instrumental that goes musically all over the place from Flamenco Guitar at the start to a hard rock.  The guitars and drums are all over the place- and it works.  The individual components fit seamlessly in a way few instrumentals seem to do.

Ranking of Rush Albums (adding as more albums are reviewed):

1. 2112
2. Fly By Night
3. Rush
4. A Farewell to Kings
5. Hemispheres
6. Caress of Steel

Top 10 Rush Songs (adding as more albums are reviewed):

1. "Working Man", Rush
2. "Closer to the Heart", A Farewell to Kings
3. "La Villa Strangiago", Hemispheres
4. "2112", 2112
5. "Fly By Night", Fly By Night
6. "Making Memories", Fly By Night
7. "The Trees", Hemispheres
8. "A Passage to Bangkok", 2112
9. "A Farewell to Kings", A Farewell to Kings
10. "Here Again", Rush