HOLD YOUR FIRE

A band that has sold its soul: devolving further into the quagmire of 1980s techno-"New Wave" pop rock.

1. "Force Ten" (4:31) Nothing here but techno-glam-rock reflective of the music of the period. (8.25/10)

2. "Time Stand Still" (5:08) a song I remember for its limited radio airplay, despite its shadow reminder of the Rush of old, it's still so simple and so pop-oriented. The fretless is too much, the toms so canned (and so plastic), the guitars so simplistic, the keys so thin, the sound engineering so compressed. (8.75/10)

3. "Open Secrets" (5:37) sounds so much like a song from ART IN AMERICA's debut album. Such poor sound production. Please take that fretless away from Geddy--and please let Alex go free more often! (8.667/10)

4. "Second Nature" (4:36) a band that normally delivers far-above average lyrics seems to have sold out (as has Alex Lifeson. Alex: you are note Jamie West-Oram!) A gentler, more standard pop song (reflecting a lot of the music of the time). Nice keyboard exposé in the fourth minute. (8.25/10)

5. "Prime Mover" (5:18) opens with a true RUSH feel before it goes a little Bon Jovi. Can the band really have sunk this low? (8.25/10)

6. "Lock and Key" (5:09) horrible melodies and chord progressions. Not even Neil's herculean efforts can pull this one out of the trash can. (Can't believe the band tried to promote this one as a hit single.) (8.25/10)

7. "Mission" (5:15) the first half of this song makes me feel so sad for Alex Lifeson: it must have been an all-time low for him to stoop down to playing those "Don't You Forget About Me" chord strums. The second half offers some of the most interesting and fully-developed music of the album. Finally! The real Rush is shining through. Unfortunately, Geddy's vocal (and message) do nothing to bring us into the song. (8.667/10)

8. "Turn the Page" (4:55) more Simple Minds chord strums and Jamie West-Oram bended arpeggi and chord strums. Neil must've been getting so bored by now. Less rolling fretless is such a nice thing. Alex gets to unleash a little in fourth minute (I can sense all of the pent up frustration he's releasing). The vocal here is actually engaging and memorable. (A unique event with Geddy giving in to the suggestion of using multiple tracks of his own voice to deliver quick, repetitious phrases.) Amazing how big a difference it is for me when Geddy's vocal is inviting instead of off- putting. (8.75/10)

9. "Tai Shan" (4:15) a slower, less 80s-sounding sound-scape (aside from Alex's guitar arpeggi). Weird to hear Geddy sing a kind of subdued "love" ballad. Weird to hear so much of the instrumental palette coming from collaborators outside of the main three. (8.5/10)

10. "High Water" (5:33) a disco-based song in which Geddy's voice sounds like he could care less. Even the keyboard chords used in the second verse are recycled from old material. Obviously, Geddy is having fun with the fretless--he's been running around that fretboard for 50 minutes now. And even Alex seems to have somehow been convinced that the pitch-unstable twangy (chorus-drenched) 80s guitar sound is the latest greatest. I hope it's over. Drumming superman Neil Peart just seems to keep on going: nothing seems to phase him or deter his enthusiasm for his job. The SIMPLE MINDS sound Alex uses around the four-minute mark is shameful. The "Owner of a Lonely Heart" chords and "In Your Eyes" lifts that follow even moreso. (8.33/10)

Total Time 50:17

What horrible sound production was allowed/condoned in the 1980s! Where 1985's Power Windows foray into the techno-pop world of synthetic sound seemed to go so well, this one sounds as if a new inexperienced band has burst onto the techno-pop scene. What happened? Not only are the instrumental performances reined in and watered down (or worse, made to sound horrible: cite Geddy's fretless bass and Neil's plastic toms), even the song compositions are disappointingly simpler.

B-/3.5 stars; a fair if dated addition to any prog lover's music collection--but surely an embarrassing contribution to any Rush fan's proud display.