The Rush 'Synth Period' Thread

Not very many like this one on PA but to me it is just as good as their previous material with some classic stuff. The progression continues so much so that you forget that this band is a power trio of Heavy music. Great stuff. Classic Rush in my opinion.

Faves from here: Time Stand Still,Open Secrets, Second Nature, Lock & Key, Mission, Tai Shan.

Great period from Rush if you ask me. 

ProgMetaller2112 wrote:  . I love the earlier period (A Farewell to Kings - Moving Pictures) perhaps a tinny bit more(but it's really really close ) Here are some of my favorite work from the Signals album: I love that Geddy's vocals are getting better (really began with Per. Wa). I also love how he plays this little synth bit on Subdivisions(it furthers the band's sound in my opinion) and his bass playing is as good as always. From Alex, he's got some killer solos like on The Analog Kid and Digital Man. His guitar work is continuing to progress as he is adding different kinds of influences in the mix. The Professor is as steady as always as he plays right along with the boys.  Fave from here: Subdivisions, The Analog Kid, Chemistry, New World Man, Losing It. From Grace Under Pressure:  The progression continues. We even get a little ska in here  . I love the lyrics on here though as they are a little more intense. The album has an intense feel behind it.  Faves from here: Distant Early Warning, Afterimage, The Enemy Within, Body Electric, Between the Wheels.  Power Windows:  My personal fave from this era. I feel there is something special behind it. Some have even said that this may as well be the missing link between Yes and the Sex Pistols. The themes behind this one is also one that makes it stand out for me. The theme of power is a real big one. Geddy's keys go perfect with the rest of the music on the album. Faves from here: The Big Money, Marathon, Territories, Middletown Dreams, Mystic Rhythms Hold Your Fire:  Not very many like this one on PA but to me it is just as good as their previous material with some classic stuff. The progression continues so much so that you forget that this band is a power trio of Heavy music. Great stuff. Classic Rush in my opinion. Faves from here: Time Stand Still,Open Secrets, Second Nature, Lock & Key, Mission, Tai Shan. Great period from Rush if you ask me.

 Glad to see you're such a big fan of this period as well. Rush are one of my favorites and if it wasn't for these particular albums, I probably wouldn't be as big of a fan, but I'm glad they went in this stylistic direction. In fact, I saw in an interview with Geddy that he wishes the band could have continued to evolve with the use of synthesizers, but Alex was getting rather tired of, in his own words, 'battling' for space with the keyboards. Truth be told, he never sounded better than he does on these albums. His style was jagged, unpredictable, edgy, spontaneous, and completely insane, but it worked with the music. Those moments when he solos the music just takes off into completely different realm, which shows the importance of his role in Rush. I often wonder how much of this or that is Geddy or Alex (they write all the music), but I've gathered that those moments that hoist the music out of the mechanical grind are Alex, but that highly structured and rhythmic complexity is Geddy. Personally, you can't have one without the other. They just made it work. Neil's role has always been the lyricist, but his drum parts are some of the most incredible of any prog drummer. He may not have much of a hand in the writing of the music, but his contributions to their music is substantial.

Yeah, I wasn't a fan of early Rush and never understood the attraction to be honest. Hemispheres is where things start picking up for me. Anyway, Signals is an amazing record. Subdivisions completely sets up the tone for the entire album. I honestly love every track on this album. Personal favorites are Subdivisions, The Analog Kid, Chemistry, The Weapon, and Losing It. To be even more honest, there's not a weak moment in their 'synth period' for me, but I may be a little biased here. 

A great era indeed and one that permeates so much of my memory. Just when I think I think I have everything they wrote during period memorized, there's another layer in all of these songs that presents itself that I didn't quite hear before and this is what of love about this time in their history. The music is more textural but they still have managed to remain a bit edgy and rhythmically driven.

I agree that Geddy's vocals are very good during this period. Quite melodic and he even takes some chances vocally that worked incredibly well like Middletown Dreams for example where towards the last go-around with the chorus he sings "Dreams transport desires, drive you when your down." I literally get goosebumps when he makes that vocal leap on when he says "drive you when your down." Absolutely sublime.

I love all the albums during this period. I shouldn't have tried singling out Power Windows, because I think their all very strong musically. 

However the synth period really evolved from Permanent Waves onwards when you think of Jacob's Ladder especially. By the time of Hold You Fire it was becoming a bit tired to me although Force Ten is a great track and one of Rush best.. I also love Signals of course which was very inventive and varied. Grace is okay but didn't quite float my boat as much. 

Subdivisions

Analog Kid

Digital Man

Losing It (very underrated Rush song) Why they didn't play this on the Clockwork Angels tour I don't know. It would have been a perfect song to play with those string musicians as backup)

Between The Wheels

Emotion Detector

Mystic Rhythms (I could easily list all PW songs, sans Big Money)

Time Stand Still

High Water