PERMANENT WAVES

Permanent Waves is smack dab in the middle of what I call their "Mid-Era Progressive" phase. These albums include: A Farewell to Kings (1977), Hemispheres (1978), Permanent Waves (1980), Moving Pictures (1981) and Exit Stage Left "Live" (1981)

Well, it's officially the 80's, and Geddy seems to be following a popular music trend that began to dominate the 80's music scene: keyboards and synthesizers. Permanent Waves is the first album that begins to integrate synthesizers into more and more Rush songs. Permanent Waves offers the most diverse track listing ever put on one album. First up is one of Rush's most "radio-friendly" songs ever, The Spirit of Radio, but we also get Jacobs Ladder and Natural Science, which continue the lengthy epic prog-rock tradition that RUSH has become known for among progressive rock fans. Some people feel that this album reflected way too much change in the "traditional" Rush sound as Alex begins to experiment with a more textured guitar sound that complements Geddy's synthesizer parts.

Many fans think this is RUSH's best album ever, especially as a Prog album, siting that Moving Pictures was just too commercial for them. Permanent Waves is a very good album, and a good lead-up to Moving Pictures. Permanent Waves, Moving Pictures, and Exit Stage Left represent Rush at the pinnacle of their musical career. They won't be as commercially accepted ever again as they are in the early 80's.

Best Tracks: Spirit of Radio and Freewill