PERMANENT WAVES

Okay, let me begin. This is may be my favorite Rush album, though it is definitely tied with 2112 and Moving Pictures. I think that it truly bridged the gap between the epics and the more commercial period. Moving Pictures is more consistent, but the highlights on Permanent Waves seem to be all around better than those on Moving Pictures.

The Spirit of Radio: My favorite track on the record. This song showed Rush incorporating different styles in a more accessible way, which payed off, as this song helped increase their audience by reaching 13 in England.

Freewill: Geddy's second best moment on bass (YYZ being the first) in the middle with Alex's solo makes that middle section one of the most complex and brilliant instrumental passages ever written by these guys, and this is from the guys who wrote La Villa Strangiato . The vocals right after are just insane. I mean really, who can sing that high through a verse except for Geddy?

Jacob's Ladder: Probably the low point of the record. Its not that its bad, but the riffs just seem to drag on for a while before ending.

Entre Nous: One of the most beautiful choruses they have ever done. The middle section helps point the way towards the more keyboard oriented passages, but it seems to drag for a little too long.

Different Strings: This ballad is actually pretty good. The lyrics don't seem to make all that much sense to me, but they seem to reflect on a relationship with someone you deeply care about. Nice tone on the guitar solo, too.

Natural Science: My second favorite on the album. It took me a while to get into, but after listening a few times, I realized the intricacy's of the lyrics and the music. One of Alex's best solos (he had a lot of good solos on this record) and a great vocal by Ged because it is not easy to change from soft to loud singing so instantaneously. One thing about Rush that I always love is that there never seems to be a difference between time signatures. They make 7/8 sound like regular 4/4.