OK Computer, Eh
In 1982 Rush released Signals, their ninth studio album and a complete reversal in sound from their previous record Moving Pictures. The synthesizers, which had been used for moods and accents on the previous records, came forward to dominate the sound.
And I hated it when it came out.
I was like 'this is worse than your mom eating a puke sandwich' (hey, I was 12 forgive me). Rush was my first favorite band and this was one of the first albums that I was looking forward to its release.
I was hoping for Moving Pictures 2, or something closer to the sound of their previous five studio albums. Something with a thirteen minute song about space, or gods, or trees.
What I got was the opposite. Instead of driving arena rock I got fuzzy humming synth/pop. Like their debut, Signals sticks out in their catalog like a cold sore on a prom queen.
Have I mentioned that I hated it?
My dislike for the record continued for a long time. I was in my mid 30s when I finally rediscovered this classic.
The musicianship on the record is still pure Rush. Neil Peart is the best drummer in rock. Geddy Lee is one of the best bassists around. Then there's poor Alex Lifeson, stuck in a band with two majestic musicians, carving out what he can.
Peart's lyrics are the most accessible at any time in their career. He was leaving behind the fantastical for the real world. No songs about trees or necromancers or snow dogs. Songs about teenage alienation, the march of technology and a space shuttle launch all make appearances here. Even the song titles speak of a world slowly going modern, "Digital Man", "Analog Kid", "New World Man", etc. And remember this was 1982, the year the Commodore 64 came out and a year before the Apple IIe.
The album opens with "Subdivisions", one of the most recognizable synth riffs in all of rock. It's also a great air drum song, containing the voice of Alex- something rarely heard on studio albums. Like most good opening tracks, it sets the mood of the record. Right away you can tell it's not a band trying to remake their last, and most popular, record.
"Chemistry" continues in the footsteps of "Vital Signs", Moving Pictures closing song. It chugs along down the rock/reggae path that other bands in the early 80s were exploring, most notably The Police. The first side closes with "Digital Man", the true classic of the record.
Lee propels the opening side closer with some of his most melodic bass playing, especially towards the back half of the song. Lifeson tops it all off with one of his better solos, not just of the record, but of all time.
"The Weapon" opens side two and foretells Rush's next album, Grace Under Pressure. Power chords over a driving, sliding rhythm section with lyrics about the nature of fear. Up next is "New World Man", the Canadian bands' only US Top 40 hit (it reached #21) and more of the rock/reggae merging.
The album ends with "Losing It", a tale of fading talents, and "Countdown", about the NASA Space Shuttle. Again, this was 1982 and there had been only 4 shuttle launches by the time this record was released, so here was the band latching onto the modern world.
Overall Signals is one of Rush's more solid albums and marks a line of demarcation in their catalog. It was their first album not to include a song over 7 minutes in length, and it would be another 30 years before they would record another song that eclipsed that mark. The sound is also a break from the previous records as the synthesizer became the bands fourth main instrument. It would also be the final album that Rush would record with Terry Brown, who'd been with them since Fly By Night.
Since rediscovering Signals I've come to realize that its the work of a band in transition. They were not resting on what came before, but intentionally expanding their sound, opening themselves up to new technologies. This is easy to see now, 30 years removed, but when you are 12 and your favorite band suddenly switches gear, you tend to hate the only way a pre-teen can, by making vomit related comments.
There are no exceptional songs on the record, but the eight really good songs all fit together nicely. It's a concept album that never was, an unintentional song cycle, and, quite possibly, the last great record Rush has made.
And I hated it when it came out.
I was like 'this is worse than your mom eating a puke sandwich' (hey, I was 12 forgive me). Rush was my first favorite band and this was one of the first albums that I was looking forward to its release.
I was hoping for Moving Pictures 2, or something closer to the sound of their previous five studio albums. Something with a thirteen minute song about space, or gods, or trees.
What I got was the opposite. Instead of driving arena rock I got fuzzy humming synth/pop. Like their debut, Signals sticks out in their catalog like a cold sore on a prom queen.
Have I mentioned that I hated it?
My dislike for the record continued for a long time. I was in my mid 30s when I finally rediscovered this classic.
The musicianship on the record is still pure Rush. Neil Peart is the best drummer in rock. Geddy Lee is one of the best bassists around. Then there's poor Alex Lifeson, stuck in a band with two majestic musicians, carving out what he can.
Peart's lyrics are the most accessible at any time in their career. He was leaving behind the fantastical for the real world. No songs about trees or necromancers or snow dogs. Songs about teenage alienation, the march of technology and a space shuttle launch all make appearances here. Even the song titles speak of a world slowly going modern, "Digital Man", "Analog Kid", "New World Man", etc. And remember this was 1982, the year the Commodore 64 came out and a year before the Apple IIe.
The album opens with "Subdivisions", one of the most recognizable synth riffs in all of rock. It's also a great air drum song, containing the voice of Alex- something rarely heard on studio albums. Like most good opening tracks, it sets the mood of the record. Right away you can tell it's not a band trying to remake their last, and most popular, record.
"Chemistry" continues in the footsteps of "Vital Signs", Moving Pictures closing song. It chugs along down the rock/reggae path that other bands in the early 80s were exploring, most notably The Police. The first side closes with "Digital Man", the true classic of the record.
Lee propels the opening side closer with some of his most melodic bass playing, especially towards the back half of the song. Lifeson tops it all off with one of his better solos, not just of the record, but of all time.
"The Weapon" opens side two and foretells Rush's next album, Grace Under Pressure. Power chords over a driving, sliding rhythm section with lyrics about the nature of fear. Up next is "New World Man", the Canadian bands' only US Top 40 hit (it reached #21) and more of the rock/reggae merging.The album ends with "Losing It", a tale of fading talents, and "Countdown", about the NASA Space Shuttle. Again, this was 1982 and there had been only 4 shuttle launches by the time this record was released, so here was the band latching onto the modern world.
Overall Signals is one of Rush's more solid albums and marks a line of demarcation in their catalog. It was their first album not to include a song over 7 minutes in length, and it would be another 30 years before they would record another song that eclipsed that mark. The sound is also a break from the previous records as the synthesizer became the bands fourth main instrument. It would also be the final album that Rush would record with Terry Brown, who'd been with them since Fly By Night.
Since rediscovering Signals I've come to realize that its the work of a band in transition. They were not resting on what came before, but intentionally expanding their sound, opening themselves up to new technologies. This is easy to see now, 30 years removed, but when you are 12 and your favorite band suddenly switches gear, you tend to hate the only way a pre-teen can, by making vomit related comments.
There are no exceptional songs on the record, but the eight really good songs all fit together nicely. It's a concept album that never was, an unintentional song cycle, and, quite possibly, the last great record Rush has made.
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