HOLD YOUR FIRE

Hold Your Fire is the last studio album in a group I call RUSH's "Synthesizer Period". All of these albums came out during the 1980's and represent the band's post-Moving Pictures era. The albums are Signals (1982), Grace Under Pressure (1984), Power Windows (1985), Hold Your Fire (1987) and A Show of Hands "Live" (1988).

Hold Your Fire continues Rush's journey through the 1980's. In an interview, Neil Peart (drums) describes Power Windows and Hold Your Fire as "forming a synergistic pairing... with so much texture and so much variety and rhythmic exploration." The two albums are very similar, sadly that must be why I don't really like either one of them. Peter Collins produced both albums also. They both contain much of the same synth-driven music that dominated the 80's. Luckily, every album after HYF, the band gradually began to "thin out" the keyboards.

I saw this tour also, and I have to say it was the most disappointing Rush show I had ever witnessed. I was equally shocked at seeing the arena only half full! And, towards the end, people were actually walking out early on the show. Unbelievable! This was Rush for God's sakes. Even the unusual quadraphonic sound system couldn't bail that performance out. From a live performance perspective, HYF was the peak of complexity. To reproduce on stage all the things put on that record was difficult. Large banks of samplers and sequencers had to be brought in for the performances.

This is my least favorite Rush album of all time. When I finally did buy the remaster, it was only for the song Time Stand Still, which will always go on any Best of collection I put together. Some people do like it though, so give it a chance. Since the remaster is now 10 years old, this album can be picked up at bargain basement prices. (Just like a cut-out, for you old timers).

Best Track: Time Stand Still