MOVING PICTURES

This album is an absolute perfection combination of classic hard rock (because who doesn't like to just jam to good old rock and roll?) and symphonic prog. The album explores many directions, yet it makes a really cohesive effort where every strong stands out as a giant. Every track is an absolute masterpiece, because of the complex drumming, educated lyrics, insane basswork, delicious guitar sounds, and perfect dynamics from all other instruments. There is really no album like this one that is overall so enjoyable by just about any person.

Tom Sawyer begins with a really unique growling synth and continues with some dark touches here and there, and a heavy guitar riff. This song is so much fun to jam to with friends, but that's just the surface. Analyzing this song, one realizes that there is an insane 7/8 section with a drum solo, and the lyrics are abstract and powerful. This song has so much to offer outside of its surface "hard rock." Never gets old.

Red Barchetta is an epic track in six minutes. I could say a lot about it, but this is something you have to listen to on headphones or some awesome radio system. Close your eyes and envision the drive throughout the future countryside. Read the lyrics beforehand and then just let the music carry you away.

YYZ is yet another fun song with a 5/4 heavy metal opening before this synchronized attack...and then bam! Awesome jam-fest. This song is about returning home, and although it is instrumental you can feel that in the music...first, the heavy section with sounds like apprehension, and then the relief comes in with the jam. After the absolutely insane bass/drum solos, there is a really atmospheric guitar solo with virtuoso playing, followed by a calm reflective part with keyboards (which symbolizing the reflection of returning home). The main riffs are replayed before an awesome ending.

Limelight is full of time changes, yet you will never notice it. It has hard-rocking verses but absolutely beautiful (and I mean beautiful) choruses with heartfelt lyrics. "Living in the limelight, the universal dream, for those who wish to seem...those who wish to be...must put aside the alienation, get on with the fascination, the real relation, the underlying theme." This is an autobiographical account on Neil's feelings of being famous. A beautiful song on so many layers...and the guitar solo is out of this world...listen for the screeching ethereal note that continues as he begins playing the riff at the end of the solo...

The Camera Eye is a long track, but it's repetitive. Yet, it's so good, you'd want to hear it all over! It's full of amazing imagery in the lyrics and the music itself is a roller coaster of sound...and then you're treated to a blistering guitar solo, enjoy!

Witch Hunt has some of the darkest lyrics in the Rush discography, and it has a creepy intro before a menacing hard-rock riff. "Ignorance and prejudice and fear walk hand in hand..." This song is really emotional and can hit hard, and is even a tiny bit scary.

Vital Signs ends the album, signaling what Rush would become on the next album. There is a "space-reggae" sound that is very psychedelic and original. The ending is an absolute gem with crazy drum fills, cold synth-lines, marvelous bass-playing and a guitar that sounds like sine-cosine functions if they had a sounds. This is marvelous...and the lyrics make use of technical jargon to compare us to computers, it's so powerful and the music really augments that.

The Mind-blowingly Insane: Call and respond section of YYZ The Mind-blowingly Beautiful: The last note of the guitar solo in Limelight plus the feedback and echo... The Mind-blowingly Unexpected: The second the riff starts in Witch Hunt