Rush – Power Windows

This is my first "new" Rush album that I've listened to in over a decade, I would recommend this album for anyone wanting to check them out, it's an easier entry point I must say, but a very satisfying one! Sounds like the 80's yep lol but just get over it and enjoy the vibes ;-P They still rock Rush style.
Proggy synthy rock with beautiful vocals, I've had Yes in my head since, reminded me of Jon Anderson.
Can not wait to spin it again!

Delving into further synth territory, Rush takes it a step too far on this album. Though returning to a much more Signals-esque album, the songs are much more spacious, if you have a knack for digital recording. Yes, this album was recorded, transferred, and mastered digitally; which really stinks if you have have a "remastered" version of the album. This was Rush's first completely digital album, and you can hear it in the album sound. The Big Money lashes with it's fast pace and slow choruses, but it's one of those classic Rush songs. Grand Designs is a unique song for abstract lyrics, a minute and a half fade out of some really good "Ohhh"-ing from Geddy, and some simple guitar riffage from Lifeson. The Guitar in this is sometimes syncopated in sections. No wonder they played it in their Power Windows tour. Manhattan Project is the next "power" type of song. Whereas Grand Designs was about power through engineering, this one speaks for itself. Peart makes use of his snare rolls and to a sense his syncopation. Lifeson is missing a good deal of his guitar playing in this song, to exchange it for some guitar effects. The last song on side one is a favorite of the album, Marathon. The song, lengthy in synth work, contains a decent solo from Lifeson, and some good drumming from Peart. A really good portion of the song is the angels and violin sounds in the end; giving an uplift to the end of the song. Territories opens the second half with some solo cymbals from Peart and a synth sting from Geddy. Alex performs his best guitar work on the album through this song, while Geddy churns some bass... finally, and not that slapping stuff from Big Money. Again more power. Middletown Dreams is one notch higher than Subdivisons in teh synth field... it doesn't even sound like Rush, which is why they made the right choice in bagging it soon enough. The opening of the song only serves as a hook. Emotion Detector is one step worse, but not lyrically. Peart does some nice lyric work here, as I should say that this song is better than Middletown Dreams. And THEN we have the crown of the album, what pretty much sets itself apart from every Rush song, Mystic Rhythms. Synth runs half of this song while Lifeson doesn't even sound like he's playing–being drowned out in the mix. The only thing good about this song is some of the really cool notes Geddy hits on the synth and Peart's drumming; the only two saving this song. If you constantly turn it up near the end, the song doesn't actually fade out, which is weird because there's some really good sound in that fade out. Hup, now onto Hold Your Fire... to be the next step in their journey.

4.25