After
gaining a cult following of fans while simultaneously sticking it to music
critics throughout the late 1970s with their four innovative progressive rock
epics, Caress of Steel, 2112, A Farewell to Kings, and Hemispheres, then gaining a bit of
traction in the mainstream rock world with 1980’s Permanent Waves, legendary Canadian rock trio Rush managed to both
maintain their musical integrity and build on their newly established
widespread appeal with their eighth studio album, 1981’s Moving Pictures. There is a consistent theme of rebelliousness and
non-conformity running throughout this album, which despite the more
radio-friendly nature of the songs compared to some of the band’s previous
works, somehow feels just as legitimate as the less popular albums that came
before.
Driving the point home, two of the pictures being moved on the album
cover contain the rebellious imagery of 2112’s “Starman”, and of Joan of Arc
being burned at the stake. Of course for all of their musical seriousness, the
members of Rush have always demonstrated keen senses of humor, hence the
obvious visual pun on the album’s title, as well as the third painting being
the infamous “Dogs Playing Poker”. The album cover is very indicative of the
album’s musical content, which has some very serious moments, but overall has a
nonchalant and casual vibe to it. I’ve listened to this album in just about
every emotional state there is, and it never fails to absorb me into its
soundscape and let me just chill out for forty minutes.
“Catch the mist, catch the myth, catch the mystery,
catch the drift...”
“Tom
Sawyer” is one of the finest album openers in history, beginning with a trippy
synth effect, which was perhaps left over from the earlier album 2112. From the
lyrical similarities this song’s rebellious-sounding main character could
easily be the same nameless protagonist of 2112, or at least an ancestor or
descendant of sorts. Among Rush songs, this one stands out as one of the all
time greats in terms of representing each band members musical talents equally.
Geddy Lee’s vocals and bass mesh perfectly with Neil Peart’s strange and
fantastic drum patterns, and Alex Lifeson’s exceptional lead guitar licks fill
in the rest.
“Wind in my hair, shifting and drifting, mechanical
music, adrenaline surge...”
The
rebellious themes continue into “Red Barchetta”, based on A Nice Morning Drive, a short story Neil Peart read in the November
1973 issue of Road and Track magazine,
which describes a vaguely dystopian future where classic cars are outlawed. The
songs lyrics are certainly evocative enough, but it’s the music really brings
the story to life, as the guitar, drums, and bass frequently mimic the sounds
and patterns of automobile machinery. This give the song a constant air of
adrenaline and exhilaration, that even manages to rival similarly-themed hard rock
and heavy metal songs that showed up in later years, such as Mötley Crüe’s
“Kickstart My Heart” or Metallica’s “Fuel”. By the time the protagonist becomes
the target of two heavy-duty road raging alloy air-cars (measuring two lanes
wide no less), the energy of the song has already guaranteed a daring and
exciting escape, much like the album itself.
“Ding-din-ding-ding, ding-din-ding-ding,
ding-ding-din-din...”
After
that adventure, things stay very interesting with arguably the best Rush
instrumental, “YYZ” (pronounced why-why-ZED, and named after the IATA code for the international airport
of Rush’s hometown of Toronto, Ontario). Once its morse code-based intro ends, the track never really follows a
true linear structure, and whenever it sounds like it’s about to get
repetitive, any combination of one, two, or all three band members throw in a
little something different to make it interesting once again. Critics
acknowledged the “coolness” of this track by giving it the band’s first Grammy
nomination in 1982 for Best Rock Instrumental.
“All the world’s indeed a stage, and we are merely
players, performers and portrayers...”
After
that shameless but dignified display of the trio’s musical prowess, their true
humility is revealed in “Limelight”. The song espouses a somewhat apprehensive
attitude towards fame, which has often been attributed to the self-confessed
grateful shyness that drummer Neil Peart has towards his fans, which is summed
up by the simple line “I can’t pretend a stranger is a long-awaited friend”.
Alex Lifeson’s guitar solo on this track is one of the best of Rush’s
catalogue, soulful and powerful as all hell.
“I feel the sense of possibilities, I feel the wrench
of hard realities, the focus is sharp in the city...”
At
this point in their careers Rush had a reputation not just for long songs, but
also for being very well travelled. Both of these aspects come together in “The
Camera Eye”, which at 11 minutes, 1 second, would end up being the last Rush
song of such a length through the present day. The song is really more like two
individual songs strung together, as each half’s lyrics evocatively describes
the contrast between city life in New York City and in London, reflecting how
each has a distinct “personality”, but both share a certain urban energy that
is conveyed through the calm melodic vocals of Geddy Lee, Neil Peart’s steadily
animated drumming, and Alex Lifeson’s driving guitar riffs and solos.
“The righteous rise, with burning eyes, of hatred and
ill-will...”
The
album takes a dark turn at this point, as “Witch Hunt (Part III of ‘Fear’)”
begins with the sound of chaotic chimes, ominous synths, and the sound of an
angry mob straight out of a Frankenstein film. Despite what the title would
suggest, it is actually the first of a series of four songs, all released out of order throughout Rush’s discography, each dealing with a different form of fear and how it manifests within the context of the human condition. The lyrics to this particular song deal with the awful power that lies within xenophobia and censorship. Geddy Lee’s mournfully sings
of the violent potential that lies within “madmen fed on fear and lies, to beat
and burn and kill,” but his vocals become almost bitter with a mocking
observation that, “Those who know what’s best for us, must rise and save us
from ourselves”. The final somber lyrics of the song, “Quick to judge, quick to
anger, slow to understand, ignorance and prejudice and fear walk hand in hand”,
are so simple, yet they represent a truly damning assessment of humanity
throughout it’s entire history to the present day. Despite being so painfully accurate,
this song’s lyrics are truly beautiful in a tragic kind of way.
“Everybody got mixed feelings about the function and
the form, everybody got to deviate from the norm...”
Perhaps
as a result of the band not wanting to end the album on such a dark note, the
album closer “Vital Signs” has a much more upbeat feel, with a distinct
reggae-like influence just underneath the surface of its synthy facade, which could
have easily been inspired by Bob Marley, but more likely was influenced by The
Police, of whom Neil Peart was, and still is, a self-described huge fan. Along
with its lighter musical tone, lyrically the song acts as a sort of soothing
antidote to the darkness and pain of the preceding track, describing the human
race’s desire and need to always pursue change and progress, and though
conflict is inevitable, we all are united in a common desire to “elevate from
the norm”.
Rush
went through many shifts in musical direction throughout their legendary
forty-year career, and this album is widely regarded by both fans of Rush, and
of the broader world of rock and metal music alike, as one of the best. In fact,
it remains the only album that Rush has played live in its entirety. Personally
I consider it their best album overall from start to finish, and the true
masterpiece of their career (with no disrespect to 2112).
Top
Three Tracks:
1.
Tom Sawyer
2.
Witch Hunt (Part III of ‘Fear’)
3.
Red Barchetta
