MOVING PICTURES

This is the most accessible album in the Rush catalog, and it deserves all the praise it gets. I put it second behind Hemispheres, for it is a very convincing album with some of Peart's best lyrics and Lee and Lifeson's most riveting musical scores. Besides, the album has aged quite well on most counts.

"Tom Sawyer" is an amazing introduction to the album, as it progresses over the textures given to us on Permanent Waves the previous year; it really doesn't surprise me that it became the signature song of the band. "Red Barchetta" is a great story based upon a poem, a strength of Neil Peart in his lyrics. Then "YYZ" is a freakin' amazing instrumental; I don't know what else to say about that one. Side one ends with my favorite track here, the very complete (lyrically and musically) "Limelight," with its strong chorus and introspective lyrics.

Side two opens with the two-part, 11-minute "The Camera Eye," where Geddy Lee continues to show off on the synthesizers; Peart is on lyrically; the beat is also quite bouncy. I really like "Witch Hunt" and the finale "Vital Signs." The former has excellent sonic textures for the lead sections, and the latter paid a bit of a toll with age, but still remains a solid number from the group, especially with the strong message. All the songs here seem to go along with a mood, which helps Moving Pictures to stand out among other hard rock/prog rock albums of the time. The new wave influence and prog roots definitely can't hurt Rush. It's all about symbolism this album, and Moving Pictures is a symbol of excellence.