ROLL THE BONES

Roll the Bones is the second RUSH release of their "Contemporary period". Albums included are Presto (1989), Roll the Bones (1991), Counterparts (1993), Test for Echo (1996), and Different Stages "Live" (1998).

Roll the Bones is one of the best releases during this period. After warming up with Presto, the band re- groups with producer Rupert Hine for his second and final Rush album. The album includes the memorable songs Dreamline, Roll the Bones, and Ghost of a Chance, one of my all-time favorite songs by Rush. There is also another good instrumental, Where's My Thing, which started to be expected by the fans on subsequent releases.

Over-all, Roll the Bones is a very solid album, from start to finish. Did the fans ever think a Rush song would have rapped lyrics? I don't think so, but they pulled it off, and it's become a staple of their live act. And, that's just the nature of Rush, always willing to try new things and experiment musically, lyrically, and technologically.

Now, to the quality of this remaster. Even though this was "digitally remastered from the original tapes" in 2004, whoever did it, did not fix anything. The album lacks bottom-end (thank-you Rupert Hine) and still has mediocre out-put compared to other modern remasters. As a comparison, the Rush Gold 2 CD set from 2007 is far superior in sound quality. I wouldn't be surprised if some of the Rush catalog got "Re- remastered" again in the near future.

Favorite Tracks: Roll the Bones and Ghost of a Chance