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):
- Moving Pictures
- 2112
- Permanent Waves
- Fly By Night
- Rush
- A Farewell to Kings
- Hemispheres
- Signals
- Caress of Steel
- Grace Under Pressure
Top 10 Rush Songs (adding as more albums are reviewed):
- "Tom Sawyer", Moving Pictures
- "Working Man", Rush
- "Closer to the Heart", A Farewell to Kings
- "La Villa Strangiato", Hemispheres
- "Freewill", Permanent Waves
- "2112", 2112
- "Fly By Night", Fly By Night
- "YYZ", Moving Pictures
- "Red Barchettta", Moving Pictures
- "Making Memories", Fly By Night
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