SIGNALS  -  RUSH

YEAR:  1982
LABEL:  Mercury
TRACK LISTING:  Subdivisions,  The Analog Kid,  Chemistry,  Digital Man,  The Weapon,  New World Man,  Losing It,  Countdown
IMPRESSIONS:  They could've made MOVING PICTURES PART 2 but they didn't.  Instead, they embraced early 80's technology with synthesizers taking a more central role (to the chagrin of Mr. Alex Lifeson).  The songs got were kept shorter (relatively speaking) and the lyrics were more concise.  And the album opens with probably my favourite Rush song ever.  As a high school student on the outskirts of popularity with self-esteem just south of a worm's navel, "Subdivisions" had (and still has) a tremendously-powerful connection with me personally.  And hey, the rest of the album and half bad neither!  The three members of Rush were self-confessed fans of the Police and you can certainly hear their influence on SIGNALS (hey, that's the second Police-influenced album in a row here!). 
MY FAVOURITE TRACKS:  Subdivisions,  The Analog Kid,  The Weapon,  New World Man,  Losing It,  Countdown
GUEST ARTISTS:  Ben Mink (violins)
FACT SHEET:  SIGNALS is Rush's ninth album.  Troy Hickman named his super-hero characters "The Analog Kid" and "Digital Man" in the comic book "COMMON GROUNDS" after the two songs from this album.  All lyrics were written by Neil Peart except for "Chemistry" which features lyrics by Peart, Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson; this is the last time to date Lee and Lifeson have contributed to the lyrics of any Rush song.   

MOVING PICTURES   -   Rush

YEAR:  1981
LABEL:  Mercury
TRACK LISTING:  Tom Sawyer, Red Barchetta,  YYZ, Limelight,  The Camera Eye,  Witch Hunt,  Vital Signs
IMPRESSIONS:  The monumental Rush album which put them into the stratosphere with its more radio-friendly collection of shorter songs (no album side-long song suites here).  Whether you are a long-time Rush fanatic (like I am) or a late band wagon jumper, you've gotta love this album.  This past year the band celebrated the 30th anniversary of MOVING PICTURES' release by performing the entire album live on their "Time Machine" tour. 
MY FAVOURITE TRACKS:  How dull of me . . . all of 'em.
FACT SHEET:  MOVING PICTURES is Rush's eighth album.  Certified quadruple platinum, it was Rush's biggest selling and most commercially successful album.  "Tom Sawyer" derived from a tune Geddy Lee used to set up his synthesizers.  "Red Barchetta" is named after a Ferrari 166 MM Barchetta and was inspired by a short story entitled "A Nice Morning Drive" by Richard S. Foster.  The instrumental "YYZ" derives its odd "dot-dot-dash" tempo from the IATA Airport Code for the Toronto Pearson International Airport; the band would hear this on their airplane and know they were very near home.  "Limelight" is an autobiographical description of lyricist/drummer Neil Peart's unease with fame and fan recognition.  "The Camera Eye" derives its title from a lyric in the song "Limelight" and attempts to capture the "enrgy and mood" of New York City (in the first verse) and London (in the second verse). 

2112 - Rush

YEAR: 1976

LABEL: Mercury

TRACK LISTING: Overture, The Temples of Syrinx, Discovery, Presentation, Oracle: The Dream, Soliloquy, Grand Finale, A Passage to Bangkok, The Twilight Zone, Lessons, Tears, Something for Nothing

IMPRESSIONS: Something of a manifesto showing the world (and their record label) exactly how Rush was going to carry on: on the own terms.

GUEST ARTISTS: Hugh Syme (mellotron on "Tears"). Syme is the first guest musician to appear on a Rush album

MY FAVOURITE TRACKS: The Temples of Syrinx, Discovery, A Passage to Bangkok, The Twilight Zone

FACT SHEET: 2112 is Rush's fourth album. After the immense failure of their previous album CARESS OF STEEL, Rush's record label insisted that they make a commercial album with no more "concept" songs. Being the contrary Marys they are, Rush said the hell with that and made a concept album the way they wanted to make it. Of course, the album became the band's biggest commercial success up to that time and ensured their continued tenure on their label. Side one features a 7-part song cycle featuring a future dystopia controlled by the Priests of the Temple of Syrinx. Drummer/lyricist Neal Peart acknowledges the influence of Ayn Rand's book "Anthem" on the plot. Side Two, however, is not part of the concept and features unrelated songs. Rush has 14 platinum and 24 gold records which puts them in fourth place behind the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and Kiss as having the most gold and platinum albums by any band in history. And yes, they still aren't in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.