PERMANENT WAVES

Review Nº 804

"Permanent Waves" is the seventh studio album of Rush and that was released in 1980. This album marks a distinct transition from the lengthy conceptual pieces of music, into a more accessible, radio friendly style and consequently, a significant expansion in the group's sales with hits like "The Spirit Of Radio" seeing considerable radio airplay. While there was short, complex and cerebral songs hadn't come close yet to fruition until the release of "Permanent Waves".

"Permanent Waves" represents the third studio album of the band that belongs to their second musical phase. The other studio albums of that musical phase are their fifth studio album "A Farewell To Kings" released in 1977, their sixth studio album "Hemispheres" released in 1978 and their eighth studio album "Moving Pictures" released in 1981.

The line up on "Permanent Waves" is Geddy Lee (lead vocals, bass guitar, Oberheim polyphonic, Mini Moog, Taurus pedal synthesizer and OB-1), Alex Lifeson (electric and acoustic six and twelve string guitars and Taurus pedals) and Neil Pearl (drums, timpani, timbales, orchestral bells, tubular bells, wind chimes, bell tree, triangle and crotales).

"Permanent Waves" has six tracks. All lyrics were written by Neil Pearl, except "Different Strings" that was written by Lee and the all music was written by Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson. The first track "The Spirit Of Radio" is lyrically a very curious song. It laments the commercialization of the music industry and the devaluation of the true artists. But very ironically, this critique of commercial radio was itself a commercial hit. However, though it's a song written for the radio it has so many time signatures and genre changes that makes of it a great song and in one of the band's most famous songs. The second track "Freewill" is another one of their most popular songs, but like its predecessor, is technically also great. Both songs have a very conventional structure. However, filled with great guitar playing, and an awesome bass line you can see that although these two songs, which were singles, Rush chose not to be lazy with them, and which is certainly the main reason why so many Rush progressive fans love these two songs. The third track "Jacob's Ladder" has something enigmatic on it. While the sound belongs to the Rush songs in the 80's, something here has the taste of the hidden and unique flavours of "Xanadu" or the finest musical moments of "2112". This is Rush making their best, and it became for me in one of their finest songs, mostly because of its hybrid sound. This is, without any doubt, a great song and is perfectly in the same line of their best tracks. The fourth track "Entre Nous" has also something special. It's a kind of a love song but in an original progressive shape. Even if the sound doesn't reach a musical level of excellence, it's good enough for mainstream dudes, especially because of the more familiar musical structure that it contains. It goes extremely well from times to times and it's very catchy, somehow. The fifth track "Different Strings" is also a song with something special like the previous song, despite being the weaker track on the album. Although, this means not that the track is a bad one. Simply, this is a very simple song that stays in a more old fashioned way of doing music, despite masterful drumming, which is always usual on any Rush's album. The sixth and last track "Natural Science" is divided into three parts "Tide Pools", "Hyperspace" and "Permanent Waves". This is the lengthiest and epic track on the album and is definitely the great highlight of "Permanent Waves". Not only the concept here noteworthy, but the music and the atmosphere created as so fitting of its title. Again, with this track the progressivity in Rush's music gets to the highest point, with an atmospheric future that starts like flowing and that grows bigger and bigger all over the track. This song represents one of their finest musical moments. It's truly a pity that this was one of Rush's last epic tracks. This particular track is one of the reasons why Rush is considered a progressive rock band, really.

Conclusion: "Permanent Waves" worthy perfectly well to have five stars. However, it isn't at the same level of the best masterpieces of the progressive rock music like "A Farewell To Kings" and especially "Hemispheres" are. Despite some very great songs, it has a comparatively less strong middle section. So, it isn't the most cohesive or consistent of all Rush's musical works. There's an undeniable dissymmetry between the giant progressive rock tracks and the clean straight forward pop rock songs. Still, any lack of overall cohesion is overshadowed by the sheer quality of the songs in and of themselves. As "A Farewell To Kings" offered an onslaught of some new musical ideas that were then unified on "Hemispheres", "Permanent Waves" is a transitional album and the breeding ground for countless new musical ideas that will be perfected on their next studio album "Moving Pictures". Anyway "Permanent Waves" is a great album and one of the best musical efforts of Rush. My sincere wishes were that Rush returned to creating more epic tracks on their new studio albums like they made on this album and on those previous albums. It's a pleasure to hear and review albums like this. "Permanent Waves" should be in your progressive musical collection because it's an excellent album.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

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