Rush Moving Pictures CD

Rush: Geddy Lee (vocals, bass, synthesizer); Alex Lifeson (acoustic & electric guitars); Neil Peart (drums, timbales, bells, percussion).
Additional personnel: Hugh Syme (keyboards).
Recorded at Le Studio, Quebec, Canada in October & November 1980.
Rush: Geddy Lee (vocals, bass, synthesizer); Alex Lifeson (acoustic & electric guitars); Neil Peart (drums, timbales, bells, percussion).
Additional personnel: Hugh Syme (keyboards).
Recorded at Le Studio, Quebec, Canada in October & November 1980.
Personnel: Geddy Lee (vocals, guitar, keyboards, synthesizer, mini-Moog synthesizer, Moog synthesizer, Oberheim synthesizer, bass guitar); Alex Lifeson (guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, electric 12-string guitar, 12-string guitar); Hugh Syme (keyboards, synthesizer); Neil Peart (glockenspiel, drums, bass drum, cowbells, timbales, bells, crotales, chimes, wind chime).
Recording information: Le Studio, Morin Heights, Quebec, Canada (10/1980-11/1980); Studio, Morin Heights, Quebec, Canada (10/1980-11/1980).
Photographer: Deborah Samuel.
Arrangers: Rush; Terry Brown.
Not only is 1981's Moving Pictures Rush's best album, it is undeniably one of the greatest hard rock albums of all time. The new wave meets hard rock approach of Permanent Waves is honed to perfection -- all seven of the tracks are classics (four are still featured regularly in concert and on classic rock radio). While other hard rock bands at the time experimented unsuccessfully with other musical styles, Rush were one of the few to successfully cross over. The whole entire first side is perfect -- their most renowned song, "Tom Sawyer," kicks things off, and is soon followed by the racing "Red Barchetta," the instrumental "YYZ," and a song that examines the pros and cons of stardom, "Limelight." And while the second side isn't as instantly striking as the first, it is ultimately rewarding. The long and winding "The Camera Eye" begins with a synth-driven piece before transforming into one of the band's more straight-ahead epics, while "Witch Hunt" and "Vital Signs" remain two of the trio's more underrated rock compositions. Rush proved with Moving Pictures that there was still uncharted territory to explore within the hard rock format, and were rewarded with their most enduring and popular album. ~ Greg Prato
MOVING PICTURES is the intersection between Rush's '70s art-rock style and their sequencer-laced '80s efforts. An incredible stylistic leap for the band, the songs here incorporate reggae, percolating synth and even a new wave-tinged early '80s pop sensibility. "Tom Sawyer," the ultimate alienated-teen saga, is the album's best known song. "Red Barchetta" picks up where 2112 left off with futuristic, sci fi-oriented lyrics. The instrumental "YYZ" is as far into straight-up progressive rock as the band had ever ventured. Things get socio-political on the ominous "Witch Hunt," and a Jamaican flavor enlivens "Vital Signs." The increased reliance on synthesizers and sequencers would later become irksome to old school Rush fans, but on MOVING PICTURES, electronics are tastefully applied to further the group's musical vision, making for what just might be their finest batch of songs.
MOVING PICTURES is the intersection between Rush's '70s art-rock style and their sequencer-laced '80s efforts. An incredible stylistic leap for the band, the songs here incorporate reggae, percolating synth and even even a new wave-tinged early '80s pop sensibility. "Tom Sawyer," the ultimate alienated-teen saga, is the album's best known song. "Red Barchetta" picks up where 2112 left off with futuristic, sci fi-oriented lyrics. The instrumental "YYZ" is as far into straight-up progressive rock as the band had ever ventured. Things get socio-political on the ominous "Witch Hunt," and a Jamaican flavor enlivens "Vital Signs." The increased reliance on synthesizers and sequencers would later become irksome to old school Rush fans, but on MOVING PICTURES, ele