HOLD YOUR FIRE

The late 70s and all of the 80s were dark times for the 70s prog giants. Rush's fate is no different than that of Yes, Genesis, and ELP with the exception that Rush still released a good song here and there. Hold Your Fire isn't Rush worst, but it's not very good, either.

Force Ten and Time Stand Still are very strong songs that are prime 3rd era Rush. The former's drum and bass rythm and the latter's thoughtful lyrics show the band still has some zazz. Geddy shines on this album on songs like Turn the Page, Prime Mover, Force Ten, and Mission. This is one of his best albums in terms of bass. However, the rest of the band fails to impress.

This isn't a total disaster, but fans of the synth driven Rush should stick to Grace Under Pressure and Signals. Peart's use of electronic drums isn't as inventive as Bill Bruford's use on 80s era Crimson. However, he never fails to assert his skills. Alex keeps getting less and less time due to the dominance of the synth.

Fans of Rush might like this album, but this doesn't hold a candle to the 70s output. Bass fanatics would do well to check out this album, as Geddy is very strong here.

Grade: D+